
Should NJ loosen penalties for parole violators? It could save taxpayer money
⚫ Missing parole appointments can result in more jail time
⚫ Critics say the current system is expensive and not helpful
⚫ Gov. Murphy is on board with making a change
Plenty of your money is being wasted on unnecessarily re-jailing individuals who technically violated parole but aren't hurting anyone, according to advocates seeking a shift to the way New Jersey punishes former inmates who are trying to rebuild their lives on the outside.
Right now, an estimated 1,200 individuals are serving time in prison because of "technical" parole violations, according to the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender.
"It's enough to fill an entire prison," said New Jersey Public Defender Jennifer Sellitti.
These individuals didn't commit a new crime, but they failed to follow through with the provisions of their parole — finding adequate housing, for example, or checking in regularly with their parole officer.
"It is not something that poses some kind of danger to the community," Sellitti said.
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After being established in 2023, NJOPD's Parole and Revocation and Resentencing Unit represented 784 individuals within the first 12 months of operation. Most of them faced parole revocation due to technical violations, and 99% ended up being incarcerated again.
"The way the system is set up right now — just the accusation of a parole violation subjects you to incarceration before adjudication," Sellitti said. "I think it's also important to remember how expensive it is to incarcerate people."
Reform proposal
The issue entered the spotlight again in mid-January when Gov. Phil Murphy discussed technical parole violations during his State of the State address — they represent 10% of the state's prison population, he said.
"Nobody should lose their freedom because of a technicality," Murphy said, according to a transcript of his speech.
Murphy and NJOPD are pushing for systemic reform that focuses on second — and maybe third — chances.
During his address, Murphy talked about upcoming legislation from Assemblywoman Shanique Speight, D-Newark, that aims to reform penalties for technical parole violations.
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Sellitti said reform can include a graduated scale of consequences for offenders. Hearing officers, she said, should have the option to give warnings to someone who, say, misses an appointment while on parole. And jail time can become part of the conversation when a pattern of technical violations arises.
"Let's focus the energy, the taxpayer money, the programming, on people who pose a danger," Sellitti said.
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