A Tuesday armistice in Newark

NEWARK - In the middle of a political battlezone in the lead-up to the Nov. 4th presidential election, the forces of President George Bush aligned with the Democrats on the ground here in New Jersey to support the expansion of a prisoner re-entry program in the City of Newark.

Gov. Jon Corzine today stood with state Attorney General Anne Milgram, Mayor Cory Booker, representatives of the U.S. Department of Labor and others to announce the infusion of $5 million in county, state and federal prisoner re-entry funds.

The program expansion will beef up opportunities for Newark ex-cons to get job coaching, job readiness training and mentoring, Milgram told a packed crowd in the Dryden House near Lincoln Park.

The attorney general laid out the stats: 60 percent of those released from prison are re-arrested, and 50 percent are re-convicted. With the expansion of this program, "we know we can successfully drop the recidivism rate," Milgram said.

The Bush administration chipped in $2 million, as part of the President’s Prisoner Re-entry Initiative (PRI), coordinated by the U.S. Department of Labor.

"This $2 million grant will enable Newark to build on the success of the President’s Prisoner Re-entry Initiative and provide over 1,200 ex-offenders with basic job skills and other assistance to help them succeed in developing new career paths," said Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

Governor Corzine noted the particular accomplishment of lining up all of the various government organizations to pay for the program.

"We’re on the move," said the governor. "We are moving day, after day, after day. ...I hope you get the idea we’re pretty fired up about this."

Booker praised the governor for being one of the "silent heroes of Newark" in his advocacy of city concerns, and said he is blessed to have the "real friendship" of Corzine.

"We are always ready to give up our blood and treasure for our ideals," said the mayor, before observing the fundamental domestic challenge of providing for those individuals who return to Newark from prison.

"Here we are caught in the madness of America right now, wasting our blood and treasure," said Booker, a longtime advocate of the expansion. "Not anymore in Newark!"