Bill Text: NJ A3322 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires administrative review for purposes of parole discharge of certain parolees sentenced to life imprisonment.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A3322 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3322-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires administrative review for purposes of parole discharge of certain parolees sentenced to life imprisonment.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning discharge from parole and amending P.L.1979, c.441.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 22 of P.L.1979, c.441 (C.30:4-123.66) is amended to read as follows:
22. a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection c. of section 2 of P.L.1994, c.130 (C.2C:43-6.4), the appropriate board panel may give any parolee a complete discharge from parole prior to the expiration of the full maximum term for which [he] the parolee was sentenced or as authorized by the disposition, provided that [such] the parolee has made a satisfactory adjustment while on parole, [provided] that continued supervision is not required, and [provided] the parolee has made full payment of any fine or restitution.
b. Within 60 days of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each parolee who has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment pursuant to Title 2A or Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes and currently is serving a term of parole supervision shall be administratively reviewed for the purposes of parole discharge if the parolee has:
(1) served at least seven years of the term of parole supervision; and
(2) been under advanced supervision status during the preceding two-year period.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.267, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State Parole Board (SPB) to administratively review certain parolees sentenced to life imprisonment and currently on parole release to determine whether the parolee should be discharged from parole.
Under current law, certain parolees may be eligible for discharge from parole if the parolee has made a satisfactory adjustment while on parole, it is determined that continued supervision of the parolee is not required, and the parolee has made full payment of any fine or restitution.
Current SPB procedures provide that a parolee who has been sentenced to life imprisonment and currently is serving a term of parole supervision may be eligible for parole discharge if the parolee has served at least seven years of the term of parole supervision and has been under advanced supervision status during the preceding two-year period. However, these procedures also provide that the appropriate board panel will only consider a discharge from parole if the parole officer recommends that the parolee be reviewed for discharge.
This bill provides that, within 60 days of the bill's effective date, each parolee who has been sentenced to life imprisonment and currently is serving a term of parole supervision is to be administratively reviewed for the purposes of determining whether the parolee should be discharged from parole if the parolee has served at least seven years of the parolee's term of supervision and has been under advanced supervision status during the preceding two-year period.
