For Immediate Release:
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019

In response to the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission’s final report, released today, the ACLU-NJ praised the recommendations as an important first step toward a fairer criminal justice system, and urged the state government to build upon it.

The following statement can be attributed to ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha:

“The Sentencing Commission’s recommendations establish a base for initiating real reforms of an often unjust criminal justice system. The commission’s calls to action, and in particular the steps of winding down mandatory minimums by eliminating them for certain offenses, expanding medical parole, and reconceiving how we sentence young people, could make real steps toward true reform possible.

“Mass incarceration is a deeply rooted crisis that demands broad and bold solutions. In our state, which has the worst Black-white imprisonment disparity in the country, we need to rethink our traditional politics and policies surrounding crime and punishment, especially with regard to relentless prosecutions and excessive sentencing. While the Sentencing Commission’s recommendations are encouraging, they represent the floor, not the ceiling, of what’s possible.

“Eliminating all mandatory minimums, further ensuring that children aren’t entangled in the criminal justice system, and creating more robust opportunities for release from prison and greater reentry supports are just some of the additional recommendations that the commission could have made in order to demonstrate the bold leadership that New Jerseyans have come to expect.

“What will determine the success of these recommendations is not just that they’re made, but that they’re only the beginning. No single commission can facilitate the necessary transformation of our criminal justice system, but these recommendations signify important progress toward that goal.

“It’s now time for the Legislature, the judiciary, and state agencies to move swiftly to implement the recommendations. New Jersey’s families shouldn’t have to wait any longer for these commonsense reforms.”

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