Special Offenders Unit

Special Offenders Unit

Three diversionary programs fall under the Special Offenders Unit (hereinafter referred to as SOU), which handles a variety of specialized cases and initiatives, including but not limited to involvement with defendants with developmental and/ or intellectual disabilities as well as age related neurocognitive impairments. It also navigates cases with a competency issue, a claim of not guilty by reason of insanity, KROL hearing status, and MSU status. The SOU is also responsible for Ocean County Police Academy training, bi-annual Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, the OAG Police Response De-Escalation Techniques to Individuals with Special Needs/Mental Health Issues training, the OAG New Jersey Resiliency Program and the OAG 21/21 Outreach Initiative. An additional responsibility of the SOU is tracking and consultation for Duty to Warn matters and consultation for Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPO) with regard to firearms. The unit acts as a liaison to the Ocean County Jail as well as the Ocean County Health Department and the Department of Human Services for various initiatives and task forces. The SOU utilizes a fulltime Supervising Assistant Prosecutor, an Agent, two T-120 staff members, a Sergeant, a fulltime detective, outside agencies for program support, seven volunteer veteran mentors and select undergraduate and graduate interns throughout the academic year. Additionally, this year the SOU became a training site for PGY-2 psychiatry residents affiliated with Hackensack Meridian Health. This arrangement is the first of its kind in the State of New Jersey.