Criminal Justice (Corrections) in New Jersey

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

A 1277: Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.

New Jersey bill A-1277 creates a new misdemeanor (disorderly persons offense) for individuals who wear masks to conceal their identity while committing another crime or offense in a public gathering of masked people. It directly affects people committing crimes while masked in group settings, but excludes Halloween activities, religious or historical events, weather protection, religious head coverings, and medical masks. The law requires the person to also be charged with the underlying crime and prohibits combining this charge with other offenses to reduce sentencing. Violations carry up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections Sentencing

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 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

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

A 520: Creates offense of making false child abuse report; permits assessment of penalty.

This bill makes knowingly making a false report of child abuse or neglect a crime. It targets individuals who submit false reports under New Jersey's child abuse reporting law, imposing a third-degree criminal penalty (up to 5 years in prison or a $15,000 fine) and adding a separate civil penalty of up to $10,000. The civil penalty funds the Department of Children and Families. The law applies immediately upon enactment and directly affects people who file false reports, not the victims or reporting systems.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

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

A 3090: Establishes fourth degree crime of cyber-interference.

This bill makes it a fourth-degree crime to intentionally tamper with or interfere with someone else's electronic device (including smart home systems, security systems, phones, or cameras) with the purpose of harassing them. It defines "electronic device" broadly to cover any device capable of transmitting or recording information electronically. Violations carry penalties of up to 18 months in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both. The law applies directly to individuals who engage in such interference, not to the devices or systems themselves.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Corrections

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

A 1924: Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.

This bill makes it a crime for private drone operators to fly drones equipped with weapons. Specifically, it criminalizes operating a civilian drone (owned by individuals or businesses) with any weapon designed to harm people, such as firearms or projectiles. Violators face up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Judiciary Committee after being introduced on January 13, 2026.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Corrections

All criminal justice bills