This New Jersey bill (A 2761) requires the Division of Parole to establish statewide residency restrictions for high-risk sex offenders. It prohibits these offenders - specifically those sentenced to life parole for crimes involving minors under 18 - from living within 500 feet of schools, child care centers, or playgrounds. Exceptions apply if the offender is in a correctional facility, receiving mental health treatment, had an existing residence before the law, or if a parole board or court grants a specific exemption. Parole officers must enforce these restrictions when approving residences for these offenders.
This bill (A 589) establishes a 25-year minimum service requirement for inmates sentenced to life imprisonment before they become eligible for parole consideration. It directly affects individuals serving life sentences or long terms in New Jersey state prisons, modifying existing parole rules to require at least 25 years served (minus limited credits for good behavior or work participation). The key provision sets a fixed 25-year eligibility threshold for life-sentence inmates, replacing the previous system where eligibility depended on sentence length or mandatory minimums. This change applies to all life-sentence cases unless a judicial mandatory minimum term exceeds 25 years. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
This bill (A 296) increases penalties for human trafficking involving children under 18 in New Jersey. It expands the definition of human trafficking to cover all forms of child exploitation (both sexual and labor), not just sexual activity. Offenders face mandatory life imprisonment without parole, a $25,000 fine (funded to a victim assistance program), and restitution based on the victim’s labor value. The law directly affects individuals convicted of trafficking children, replacing current penalties that allowed parole eligibility after 20 years. This change applies to all child trafficking offenses, regardless of whether the perpetrator mistakenly believed the child was 18 or older.
This bill increases the penalty for causing death by reckless driving when the driver was intoxicated (drunk or high) or had a suspended license for a DUI. It elevates the crime to a first-degree offense (instead of second-degree) if the death occurs within 1,000 feet of school property, at a school crossing, or in a highway construction zone. The law requires a hearing to prove intoxication, and a convicted driver must serve a minimum prison term of at least one-third to one-half of their sentence or three years, without parole eligibility during that time. It directly affects drivers convicted of causing death while driving under the influence in these specific locations.
This bill (A 3404) amends New Jersey's "Earn Your Way Out Act" to expand who is ineligible for administrative parole release - without a hearing - when first eligible. It specifically blocks inmates with prior convictions for any serious offense (indictable offense) and those currently serving sentences for certain crimes, including vehicular homicide, human trafficking, sexual extortion, and stalking. The bill broadens existing exclusions beyond current law (which already blocked some offenses under NERA and Megan's Law) by adding new categories of crimes to the list. This proposed change would affect inmates who meet these criteria, preventing them from automatic parole under the current process. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
This bill criminalizes squatting in vacant homes by creating three new offenses: "housebreaking" (forcibly entering without permission to live there), "unlawful occupancy" (living in a vacant home without permission), and "unlawful reentry" (returning after being evicted via court order). It presumes people know they lack permission unless they have a notarized rental agreement with the owner's contact details. The law directly affects individuals occupying vacant properties without legal authorization, making these acts fourth-degree crimes punishable by up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill aims to replace current eviction processes with criminal penalties for unauthorized occupancy.
This bill increases penalties for knowingly harboring or concealing a sex offender who has not complied with New Jersey's registration requirements under Megan's Law. It requires a minimum prison term without parole eligibility for anyone who shelters such an offender, with parole ineligibility lasting three years for a third-degree offense (3-5 years prison) or one year for a fourth-degree offense (up to 18 months prison). The law specifically targets individuals who knowingly aid sex offenders avoiding registration, raising the offense level from a potential disorderly persons charge to a serious criminal penalty. This directly affects people who provide shelter or assistance to non-compliant sex offenders.
This bill (A 3815) proposes to reclassify burglary of a residence. It upgrades burglary of a dwelling or structure adapted for overnight accommodation to a second-degree crime (currently third degree in most cases), and further upgrades it to a first-degree crime if the perpetrator is armed with a weapon or explosives. The change directly affects individuals committing burglaries in homes or similar living spaces, increasing penalties: second-degree burglary carries 5-10 years in prison, while first-degree burglary (with weapons) carries the same term. The bill also aligns sentencing for these offenses with a new requirement that 85% of the sentence must be served before parole eligibility. This is a proposed legislative change, not yet enacted.
This bill (A 219) changes New Jersey law regarding drug-related deaths involving minors. It makes distributors of certain Schedule I/II drugs (like methamphetamine or LSD) strictly liable for deaths caused by those drugs when the victim is under 18, imposing life imprisonment without parole if the drugs were in quantities of one ounce or more. It also automatically waives juvenile court jurisdiction for offenders aged 15 or older who caused such deaths, sending them directly to adult court. The bill affects drug distributors whose actions result in the death of a minor under 18, with no defense available for the victim’s own drug use or consent. The bill was introduced on January 13, 2026, and referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
This bill requires life imprisonment without parole for anyone convicted of murder committed while committing specific sex offenses (like rape or sexual assault under N.J.S.2C:14-2 or 2C:14-3), regardless of the victim's age. It directly affects defendants convicted of such murders by eliminating the prior requirement that the victim be under 18. The key provision amends New Jersey's murder statute to mandate life without parole for these cases, overriding existing sentencing options. This change applies to all victims of these sex offense-related murders, not just minors, and does not create new offenses - only modifies sentencing for existing murder charges meeting these criteria.
