TRENTON Inmates currently in prisons across the state on non-violent drug convictions now can apply for new sentencing.
The application process went live on Wednesday, a month after state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced his directive, during which he said the mandatory terms were “outdated policy, which was hurting residents and disproportionately affecting young men of color.
Those eligible to apply cannot be serving a sentence for another crime that imposes a longer period of parole ineligibility, according to the online application.
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The directive to all state, county, and municipal prosecutors took mandatory minimum prison terms “off the table” for six non-violent drug crimes.
NJ allows non-violent drug offenders to apply for new sentences
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While the governor and state legislators battle over a provision that would abolish mandatory minimum sentences for public corruption, the state Attorney General s Office effectively abolished mandatory minimums for six non-violent drug offenses on Wednesday.
The office debuted an online application where inmates serving mandatory minimum sentences for a handful of crimes can request a court review and new sentence, according to a statement from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
The directive effectively takes mandatory minimum sentences off the table, the statement said.
Applications are open to anyone serving a minimum sentence for the following violations:
NJ allows non-violent drug offenders to apply for new sentences njherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from njherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Bank robber’s 70-year prison term unfair, N.J. high court says in calling for change
Updated 11:07 AM;
The New Jersey Supreme Court ordered a Monmouth County bank robber re-sentenced Tuesday, saying the two separate prison terms that would keep him behind bars until he is 102 years old are unfair.
The court found the judges who sentenced Edgar Torres to a combined 70 years behind bars did not give explicit explanation for running the sentences consecutively. They sent it back, “for meaningful review and re-sentencing utilizing the principles contained in this opinion.”
The unanimous decision, though, went beyond Torres’ predicament. The court said they took the case because the sentences’ length “concerned” them, and they said the state legislature and an existing sentencing commission needs to address the issue of consecutive sentences.
How did a push to cut unfair criminal sentences clash with corruption? N J politics! nj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.