Poverty in Focus

Poverty in Focus combines print and video coverage of poverty in the Garden State in an effort to illustrate the various causes and consequences of deprivation of basic needs. It incorporates interviews with low-income New Jersey residents, legal and social service advocates, and public policy experts in areas that disproportionately affect people in poverty. Comments and questions may be sent to [email protected].

POVERTY AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Due to a variety of societal conditions, including racism and poverty, people of color are grossly overrepresented in New Jersey’s criminal and juvenile justice systems. Further, widespread criminal record discrimination creates substantial barriers to employment, housing, education, and other pursuits. The articles and videos in this section detail some of the challenges faced by those with justice involvement and various approaches to deal with these issues.

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POVERTY AND THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

Despite local and national efforts to ensure that children are not removed from their parents for reasons of financial insecurity, estimates suggest the majority of children in foster care come from low-income households, and racial and ethnic minorities are significantly over-represented in the system. The articles and videos in this section illustrate some of the challenges in this area and the efforts underway to address them.

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POVERTY AND THE THREAT OF EMINENT DOMAIN

Eminent domain, the process by which a government can take private property for public use, poses a unique threat to low-income homeowners across the state. The articles and videos in this section highlight the efforts of local residents to not only protect their property, but to take care of it and to work to improve it wherever possible.

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