Background & Approach
Camden County, located in southwestern New Jersey, built a comprehensive community engagement strategy that links and coordinates criminal justice, public health, social services, private entities, and formerly incarcerated people to address the needs of the jail reentry population. The team of NuEntry Opportunity Specialists (NOS), made up of people with lived experience, now successfully bridges the divide between the system and the community. From “meet them at the gate” initiatives to helping people find IDs, clothes, furniture, and other essentials, NuEntry Opportunity Specialists serve at every step of helping people return home to the community and prevent recidivism.
Camden County continues to engage with the Safety and Justice Challenge Network to rethink and redesign its criminal justice system so that it is more fair, just, and equitable for all.