New Jersey operates one of the more structured reentry systems on the East Coast, anchored by the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC), the Department of Corrections’ Residential Community Release Programs, and county-based reentry coalitions. Housing is competitive and typically routed through halfway houses, sober-living programs, and nonprofit transitional housing networks. Workforce help runs through NJRC, One-Stop Career Centers, and trade-focused training programs tied to transportation, logistics, construction, and healthcare. New Jersey’s Clean Slate expungement process offers strong record-clearing options, though documentation and waiting periods still apply. Expect mandatory case-management, referrals, and some county-specific intake steps; early enrollment improves access to housing, IDs, job placement, and legal support.
Housing Assistance
Program / Organization
Description
Website
Reformed Church of Highland Park Affordable Housing Corporation
Offers safe, stable affordable housing for individuals leaving incarceration: lease/sub-lease & shared housing models statewide, plus case-management support.
Provides transitional & supportive housing assistance, employment/education linkage, and life-skills to formerly incarcerated in South Jersey (Cumberland, Salem, Cape May).
Volunteers of America Delaware Valley – Safe Return Housing Assistance
Offers housing-navigation, emergency housing support & rapid re-housing for returning citizens in the Newark-Metro area (Essex/Morris/Hudson/Union counties).
