Operators of New Jersey’s privately run halfway houses are denying published reports of rampant violence and inmate escapes.

John Clancy is CEO of Community Education Centers, the largest of New Jersey’s halfway house providers.
He told a Senate panel that reports the company took no action to deal with tragic events at their facilities just aren’t true.

“To the contrary all of us work with a difficult population and tragic incidents have and will occur. Each and every incident is investigated, reviewing with the referring agency and/or appropriate law enforcement agencies. A corrective action plans is always submitted for review and implemented.”

Corrections Commissioner Gary Lanigan says there are very few violent acts at the halfway houses, and he says state oversight of the facilities has improved in the past two years.

“There has been a much greater focus on the halfway houses in general. If this is going to be a model that’s used nationally we have to make sure it works, and I think we had made sure it works. I think that over the years this model has improved steadily, and I believe it will continue to.”

Halfway house operators say they’re ready to do whatever will make the system better.