FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2025; New Jersey
Contact
Cuqui Rivera, Outreach Director LANF
732-339-2334 - Cuqui@LANFoundation.Org
We applaud Governor Murphy’s announcement on parole reforms in his state of the state address today. His proposal to draft a Bill that will address the overuse of “technical” parole violations in New Jersey is long overdue. There are currently approximately 13,000 incarcerated people in our state prison system. Approximately 1,200 are sitting in state prison for technical parole violations on average of 14 months when no new criminal act has been committed. The least average stay is 7 months, all on taxpayer dollars.
A new policy like this would change the time credits one earns from what currently exists, i.e. every 6 days equals 1 day credit earned, to every day will give a day’s credit earned. Technical Parole violators under the No Early Release Act (NERA) credits will also be included, currently those under NERA gain no credit at all. This will also cap these kinds of sentences for Technical Parole violators and shift the stay to county jails vs state prisons through a tier system that would not exceed a 30 day stay.
Cuqui Rivera, the Outreach Director for LANF stated: With all of the advocacy around the criminal legal system over the years, contrary to popular belief, there has been a steady statewide decrease overall, in crime. This kind of policy could literally close another, entire prison. I would love to imagine that these taxpayer dollars be put into helping people readjust to community vs punishment because they did not have the appropriate support to stabilize properly as a returning citizen. This is one main reason why they violate in the first place. Homelessness is considered a violation, even missing a parole check in because transportation was not available..
Edwin “Chino” Ortiz, Executive Director of the Returning Citizens Support Group & LANF organizational member said, I proudly support Governor Murphy’s initiative addressing technical parole violations. This policy aligns with the Returning Citizens Support group mission to promote successful reintegration by reducing unnecessary barriers and creating opportunities for returning citizens to thrive. By addressing these challenges, we take a crucial step toward fostering equity, justice, and long-term success for individuals reentering society.
Established in 2010, the Latino Action Network Foundation (LANF) is a 501c3 that unites New Jersey’s diverse Latino Communities. LANF is deeply committed to a just society for everyone and opposes all forms of discrimination including those based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, class, disability, or sexual orientation.