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Resident questions road funding and reentry services; county officials describe expungement clinics and 1-Stop process
Summary
A resident at the Camden County caucus asked how road-improvement funds are allocated across municipalities and raised questions about expungement clinics and reentry services; commissioners and staff explained county vs. municipal responsibilities, the expungement clinic process, and how the 1-Stop workforce center supports reentry clients.
A Camden-area resident who identified herself as living in Runnemede but longtime to Camden asked county officials at Thursday's caucus meeting how the county determines which municipalities receive road-improvement funding and raised separate questions about expungement clinics and reentry services.
"How do you determine what city get how much money for, like, road improvement?" the resident asked, saying she had seen Winslow Township and Camden listed for projects and was concerned that Camden streets are worse.
County staff and commissioners explained the division of responsibility between county-owned roads and municipal streets and described the county's capital planning process. Director Cappelli (presenting county items) said county responsibility is limited to county roads and that the county uses a five-year capital improvement program to prioritize which county roads need work. "We're about to do Haddon Avenue in Camden. I think it's a $17,000,000 project," Cappelli said.
The resident also asked about the county's volunteer legal clinic and expungement services. Commissioner Nash described the local expungement clinics and the state-law limitations on eligibility, saying, "You have to be out of trouble for 10 years," and that some crimes are not eligible for expungement. Nash said volunteer attorneys assist on-site with paperwork, but court and prosecutor approval are required for an expungement to be finalized.
On reentry services, the resident referenced a $450,000 community project funding grant listed earlier on the agenda for a reentry, release and resource center. County representatives explained that the county's One-Stop workforce system provides a multi-step intake and planning process for people returning from incarceration, including assessment of readiness for work, access to GED and training, wraparound services and transitional housing referrals when available. Commissioner Young (speaking during the public comment exchange) described the One-Stop process and said staff work on individualized plans and coordinate services to improve the chances of successful reentry.
County officials invited the resident to provide contact information so staff could follow up on her nephew's expungement case and noted that final determination on an expungement rests with the courts and prosecutor's office.
