Criminal Justice (Corrections) in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 582: Upgrades certain penalties for criminal street gang recruitment and criminality; imposes mandatory minimum sentence for certain offenses; establishes accomplice liability and imposes restrictions for certain recruiters.

This bill (A-582) upgrades penalties for recruiting individuals into criminal street gangs in New Jersey. It makes gang recruitment a crime with escalating penalties: a fourth-degree offense for general recruitment, third-degree for threatening victims twice in 30 days, and second-degree for causing significant injury or recruiting minors (with a mandatory minimum 5-year prison sentence for general offenses and 7 years for recruiting those under 18). The law also establishes accomplice liability for recruiters and requires consecutive sentencing for those violating these provisions while in official detention. It directly affects individuals who recruit others into gangs, particularly targeting minors and actions occurring on school property.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Sentencing

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3954: Concerns keyless locking mechanisms and burglar's tools.

This New Jersey bill expands the definition of "burglar's tools" to include devices or software designed to bypass keyless locking mechanisms (like smart locks or digital keypads). It makes manufacturing, possessing, or publishing instructions for such tools a crime: manufacturing or publishing is a fourth-degree offense (up to 18 months jail or $10,000 fine), while mere possession is a lesser disorderly persons offense (up to 6 months jail or $1,000 fine). The law directly affects individuals who create, distribute, or possess tools specifically adapted to access premises without physical keys. It targets modern security vulnerabilities without altering existing burglary statutes for traditional methods. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 486: Establishes penalty for withholding identification to hinder apprehension or prosecution.

This bill makes it a crime to refuse to provide valid identification or true identity to law enforcement upon request, if the purpose is to hinder arrest or prosecution. It directly affects individuals who withhold ID during police interaction, particularly in cases involving motor vehicle accidents, insurance fraud, or other serious offenses. Penalties range from a fourth-degree crime (for less serious underlying offenses) to a third-degree crime carrying a mandatory minimum one-year prison term for severe cases like fatal hit-and-runs. The law aligns refusal to provide ID with existing penalties for giving false information to police.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement Policing

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3510: Requires DOC to report incidents of suicide and self-harm among inmates housed in prison Restorative Housing Units.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Corrections (DOC) to publicly report incidents of suicide and self-harm among inmates housed in Restorative Housing Units (RHUs). RHUs are disciplinary housing units where inmates are separated from general population, and the bill mandates quarterly public reports (without personal identifiers) detailing these incidents alongside data on inmate demographics and confinement types. The reports must include non-duplicative annual counts of self-harm, suicide, and emergency confinement in RHUs across all facilities. This is a transparency measure focused on data collection, not policy changes to RHU operations. The bill aligns with a 2024 recommendation from the Corrections Ombudsperson.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3742: Limits use of restrictions on telephone calls as discipline measure during incarceration.

This New Jersey bill (A 3742) limits how correctional facilities can suspend phone calls as punishment for incarcerated people. It requires facilities to allow at least one phone call every two weeks during a suspension, caps suspensions at 90 days consecutively or 180 days yearly, and prohibits suspensions in the final 60 days before release. The bill also bans suspensions for those in "Restorative Housing Units" and mandates that facilities notify emergency contacts when calls are restricted. It directly affects incarcerated individuals and their families by ensuring more consistent communication access while incarcerated.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2946: "Iryna's Law"; establishes process for evaluating certain defendants in need of involuntary commitment in lieu of pretrial detention; establishes aggravating factor for offense committed in certain public places.

Iryna's Law (A 2946) creates a process for prosecutors to request mental health screenings for eligible defendants with mental illness who pose a danger to self or others, potentially avoiding pretrial jail detention. It allows prosecutors to file motions after arrest to immediately transport such defendants to a screening service, which determines if they need involuntary mental health treatment instead of pretrial detention. The law applies to defendants not previously involuntarily committed within the past three years and establishes an aggravating factor for offenses committed in certain public places. This directly affects defendants facing charges who may qualify for mental health evaluation rather than standard pretrial detention. The bill amends New Jersey's pretrial release and sentencing statutes to prioritize mental health assessment for specific cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Corrections Sentencing Mental Health

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2594: Imposes certain requirements on use of automated license plate readers by law enforcement agencies.

This bill requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies to follow strict rules when using automated license plate readers (ALPRs). It prohibits unauthorized access or use of ALPR data (a disorderly persons offense punishable by up to 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine) and mandates annual audits to ensure ALPRs are used only for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Agencies must submit detailed annual reports to the Attorney General covering device counts, data readings, storage, data requests (including out-of-state/federal), and security breaches. Finally, it sets a two-year mandatory retention period for ALPR data (with limited early purging allowed for cost reasons) and requires date stamps on transferred data to maintain compliance.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2565: Imposes criminal liability on persons who allow minors to access firearms used to commit crimes.

This bill makes adults criminally liable if a minor gains access to an improperly stored firearm (including in vehicles) and uses it to commit a crime. It raises the age of "minor" from 16 to 18, removes the requirement that the firearm be loaded, and upgrades the offense from a disorderly persons offense to a third-degree crime. If a minor uses such a firearm for criminal activity, the adult who facilitated access faces a second-degree crime charge (5-10 years in prison), and the firearm is deemed a "community gun" under existing law. The law aims to hold adults accountable for negligent firearm storage that enables minors to access weapons used in crimes.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Firearms

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2785: Increases prison time for certain persons convicted of a motor vehicle offense when license suspended for DUI.

This bill increases penalties for driving with a license suspended due to a DUI conviction. For third or subsequent offenses, it mandates 30 to 180 days in jail (up from fines alone) and adds a 1-year license suspension extension. It also imposes longer prison terms (60-180 days for repeat offenses) when driving near schools, school zones, or within 1,000 feet of school property. These changes apply specifically to individuals convicted of operating a vehicle during a DUI-related license suspension.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Corrections Driver Licensing Traffic Safety

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 327: "Stolen Car Accountability Act"; concerns juveniles tried as adults for motor vehicle theft and residential burglary.

This bill creates a specific plea option for juveniles charged with both residential burglary and motor vehicle theft during the same incident, under strict conditions: no firearm use, no bodily injury, and no prior serious offenses. Prosecutors may offer a deal where the burglary charge is dismissed if the juvenile pleads guilty to motor vehicle theft (as a third-degree crime) and receives a 5-year prison sentence with 3 years of parole ineligibility. Juveniles who reject this plea but later provide evidence leading to an adult's arrest for similar crimes can later negotiate reduced sentences. The bill also shortens the expungement waiting period from 5 to 3 years for those who accept the plea or later qualify for sentencing reductions.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Juvenile Justice Sentencing

All criminal justice bills