Governor Phil Murphy today signed two major pieces of legislation to reform New Jersey’s criminal justice system as part of his Second Chance Agenda. The bills, which will reform New Jersey’s expungement process to be one of the most progressive in the nation and restore voting rights to those on probation or parole, will help give individuals entangled in the criminal justice system the opportunity to fully participate in our society and democracy.
“Our Administration is deeply committed to transforming our criminal justice system, and today we are taking a historic step to give residents impacted by that system a second chance,” said Governor Murphy. “I am proud to sign one of the most progressive expungement laws in the nation, which will allow more New Jerseyans the opportunity to fully engage in our society. I am also proud to enact legislation that will restore voting rights to over 80,000 residents on probation or parole, allowing them to fully participate in our democracy.”
S4154 creates a petition process for “clean slate” expungement for residents who have not committed an offense in ten years and who have not been convicted of the most serious crimes. The bill also requires the State to implement an automated clean slate expungement system, which will be developed by a task force charged with studying the technological, fiscal, and practical issues and challenges associated with such a system. Further, the bill requires that low-level marijuana convictions be sealed upon the disposition of a case, preventing those convictions from being used against those individuals in the future. It also makes numerous other changes to existing expungement procedures, including the creation of an e-filing system that would eliminate filing fees to petition for an expungement.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Sandra Cunningham, Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Senator Teresa Ruiz, and Assemblymembers Jamel Holley, Annette Quijano, Angela McKnight, Benjie Wimberly, and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.
A5823 restores voting rights to New Jersey residents on probation or parole, a category that currently comprises over 80,000 individuals. 16 other states, including Indiana, Montana, and Utah, currently restore voting rights to individuals on probations or parole, and Governor Murphy has called for New Jersey to join this group of states for several years. The bill will take effect 90 days after signature.
The bill was sponsored by Assemblymembers Shavonda Sumter, Cleopatra Tucker, Jamel Holley, and Britnee Timberlake, and Senators Ronald Rice and Sandra Cunningham.
Here we go. When I worked in Law Enforcement in NYC, my boss changed from Rudy Giuliani who always had my back. When Bloomberg came in with all his cronies, especially the Deputy Commissioner of my agency at the time, The Department of Investigation (the Inspector General of all NYC agencies), he had my back painted with a target. This Deputy Commissioner, Elizabeth Glazer is now the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. She is the driving force since Bloomberg came in, behind NYC’s “Criminal Justice Reform” which obligates you and your taxpayer money to pay these criminals for all these benefits, including giving illegals the ability to get driver’s licenses (they line up around the block). Boom, now they can also vote! Not only that, but they’re moving them to NJ for us to pick up the NYC tab and now it comes to NJ. Now you know why I resigned from being a top NYC Law Enforcement Special Investigator. I’m no Dan Bongino but read his book and see how this Democrat stuff works in regards to law enforcement and why he left. That’s my story. After 30 years of undercover plainclothes work with many high profile arrests including politicians not to mention millions of dollars of waste and fraud recovered and terror-attack prevention that potentially could have killed thousands of New Yorkers, my hands became tied, I became a watchdog without teeth, my waste, fraud and CORRUPTION case files were now put in the circular file instead of on the Mayor’s desk. It was time to get out. Instead of criminals being a threat, it became the cops. More people and businesses are leaving NY and NJ than ever before it will only get worse with these radical policies that favor criminals instead of honest working citizens.
I support this compassionate way, does not the Torah give those who made a mistake an opportunity to rehab? or a chance for those who stole to give back? We must understand that many of these indiscretions were made by youth who lack positive role models.
Dovid. I agree with you on that. I had the privilege to work with Rabbi Joel Dinnerstein who started the Aleph Foundation (to re-integrate those you speak of into society ) He was a pioneer and an NYPD Chaplain. But… you hit the nail on the head as far the real fix is concerned. It is a cultural problem, lack of positive role models, blaming the “system” as an excuse, lack of work ethic, economic situation. The Torah teaches us to prevent these things in the first place, accept life’s tests and be a mentsch in the first place. We need to change the culture toward a Torah perspective of faith, responsibility and dealing with Nisyonot.
Dear Mr. Gov.
Do you need more votes?
Sincerely;
5th generation American