Awards credits to reduce the parole eligibility date of inmates who participate in college and associate degree educational programming.

This bill would allow New Jersey inmates participating in college or associate degree programs to earn credits that reduce their parole eligibility date. Specifically, it amends state law to explicitly include these educational programs under "productive occupations," qualifying inmates for one day of sentence remission for every five days of participation. The policy directly affects incarcerated individuals in New Jersey correctional facilities who enroll in eligible higher education programs. It expands existing provisions that already permit sentence credits for some vocational training and education, without altering good behavior deductions or mandatory minimum sentences.