New Jersey Prison Population Experiences One of the Largest Drops in the U.S.
While nine states and the federal government increased their prison population numbers last year, New Jersey dropped its prison population by 31 percent between 2019 to 2020.
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A new report by the Vera Institute of Justice has found that New Jersey’s prison population fell by one-third last year, making it among the leaders of decarceration efforts during the pandemic in the United States, second only to West Virginia, reports Gothamist. The drop is considered to be largely due to New Jersey’s landmark law that allowed eligible inmates, those within a year of their release dates who were not convicted of murder, first-degree sexual assault or repeat sexual offenses, to use “public health credits” to shave up to eight months off their sentence during the state’s public health emergency. More than 5,500 adults and juveniles were released under the program, with more than 200 freed in early March, 2022, and the last releases expected to happen this summer.
An analysis earlier this year found that only about 9 percent of the first 2,500 people released early were re-incarcerated within a year, undercutting the state’s overall pre-pandemic, one-year recidivism rate of 16 percent. The report shows New Jersey had the biggest drop in its prison population (31 percent) between 2019 to 2020. Meanwhile, 19 states and the federal government increased their prison population numbers last year.
