NJ STATE PAROLE BOARD PROMOTES JAMES DICKINSON TO DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISIONS OF PAROLE AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
PAROLE BOARD LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN BRINGS NEARLY 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO HELP SERVE AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF AGENCY’S LEADERSHIP
TRENTON, NJ, February 4, 2020— The New Jersey State Parole Board announced today the promotion of Captain James Dickinson, a 29-year parole law enforcement officer and commander, who will lead the Divisions of Parole and Community Programs as director. In his new role, Director Dickinson will oversee the nearly 400 sworn law enforcement parole officers and commanders who are responsible for the supervision of more than 15,500 offenders.
“Director Dickinson is a demonstrated leader who brings a wealth of experience to this position and I know he will impart his vast parole and reentry knowledge to staff,” said New Jersey State Parole Board Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr. “I look forward to the many positive contributions that he will make at the administrative level while supporting our dedicated officers and commanders in the field.”
Executive Director Steven Tallard said, “I have known Director Dickinson for nearly 20 years and I am looking forward to be working even more closely with him. He is someone with decades of paroling and community programming experience and Director Dickinson’s extensive background will help the entire agency as we continue to work to meet our reentry and public safety missions.”
Director Dickinson joined the State Parole Board in 1991 as a parole officer trainee. He worked at several district offices throughout New Jersey including, Atlantic City, Camden, and Jersey City before eventually being promoted to sergeant in 2000. In 2008, then Sergeant Dickinson was promoted to lieutenant where he oversaw the agency’s 6th District Office in Trenton. Eight years later, he was promoted to captain and had the task of supervising multiple parole units, including the Sex Offender Unit, Electronic Monitoring Unit, and community programs.
As a captain, Director Dickinson also had the responsibility of serving as the liaison between the State Parole Board and the New Jersey State Department of Corrections. Additionally, he assisted with budgeting and fiscal matters, policy procedure reviews, and training and development where he helped streamline and consolidate officer allocation. Director Dickinson was also previously honored twice as “Supervisor of the Year” for his leadership as a sergeant and lieutenant.
Director Dickinson has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. He is a resident of East Greenwich Twp., Gloucester County and volunteers his time operating a youth football program in Camden, as well as participating in other charitable endeavors.
The New Jersey State Parole Board is committed to promoting public safety, utilizing effective methods to aid supervised offenders in reentering society, and to reduce the recidivism of offenders while addressing the needs of crime victims. As required by law, appointed parole board members and staff conduct approximately 13,500 hearings per year, solicit input from victims, and decide upon parole matters. Nearly 400 sworn parole officers supervise more than 15,500 offenders and act as New Jersey’s primary law enforcement agency responsible for sex offender supervision. Additionally, State Parole officers are also active partners with a variety of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and task forces. Finally, the agency’s Community Programs Unit partners with government, non-profit, and private agencies to connect former inmates with vocational, mental health, addiction services, and related services.