NJ lawmakers to consider parole reform, expanded holistic defense program, new solitary confinement rules

Nearly 16,000 New Jersey residents are on parole, and even minor technical violations can send them back to prison.

New Jersey lawmakers will consider legislation on Thursday, Oct. 15, that could change how the state handles parole violations and how the public defender’s office helps people facing criminal charges. A Senate hearing will also examine whether to loosen restrictions on solitary confinement in state prisons.

One bill would make it harder to return people to prison for technical parole violations, such as missing appointments with parole officers. Another would expand a pilot program that connects public defender clients with housing, mental health treatment, employment assistance, and other services.

A Senate committee will also hear testimony on the state’s 2019 law restricting solitary confinement. The union representing New Jersey correctional officers wants lawmakers to ease the restrictions, arguing that prison officials need greater authority to discipline people who assault staff members.

Prison reform advocates oppose the changes. Numerous studies have documented the harmful effects of solitary confinement, particularly on younger people.

All three hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at the State House Annex in Trenton.

Parole reform would limit incarceration for technical violations

New Jersey has nearly 16,000 people on parole, and violating the conditions of supervision can result in a return to prison even when someone has not committed a new crime.

Violations can include missing an appointment with a parole officer, failing to report a police encounter, or changing a residence without permission. Advocates say people can spend weeks or months behind bars awaiting hearings, potentially losing jobs, housing, or access to substance use treatment.

The Substance Abuse Recovery and Accountability Act would limit incarceration for those violations, require faster reviews of detention decisions and expand opportunities for early discharge from parole.

Under the bill, the State Parole Board would have to review an arrest warrant within seven days of it being issued and determine whether the person poses a danger to public safety or is unlikely to appear for a hearing. If neither condition is met, the person would be released while the case proceeds.

The legislation would also require officials to consider employment, family and community ties, previous compliance with parole requirements, and the availability of treatment when deciding how to respond to violations.

According to data from the Office of the Public Defender cited by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, 99% of people accused of noncriminal parole violations are jailed while awaiting revocation hearings.

“Under current laws, someone accused of a non-criminal violation is often forced to sit in a cell for weeks before even seeing the evidence against them,” said John Butler, political director of the ACLU of New Jersey, in a statement supporting the legislation. “That undermines progress, and it isn’t keeping anyone safer.”

The bill would require parole authorities to provide people facing revocation hearings with the evidence against them at least 48 hours before the hearing. It would also allow the Parole Board to direct people to community-based reentry services instead of prison.

People returned to custody for violations that do not involve new criminal charges or convictions could be incarcerated for no more than 364 days. Those serving shorter terms could remain in county jails rather than state prisons.

The legislation would also require parole officers to recommend early discharge from parole for people who comply with supervision requirements and do not pose a public safety risk. Depending on their circumstances, they could be recommended for discharge after two to five years, although the Parole Board would retain the final decision-making authority.

“Addiction is a health condition, and the research is clear that treatment is much more effective than incarceration,” said Sen. Andrew Zwicker, D-Middlesex, a sponsor of the bill. “Sending someone back to prison for a relapse just pulls them out of the programming, counseling, and support that keeps them stable.”

Assemblywoman Shanique Speight, D-Essex, is the primary Assembly sponsor.

Hearing: Assembly Judiciary Committee, 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, Committee Room 12, fourth floor, State House Annex, Trenton.

Lawmakers consider expanding holistic defense program statewide

Another proposal would expand a program that pairs people charged with crimes with social services.

The New Jersey Holistic Representation Act would establish the program in every regional office of the state Office of the Public Defender.

Attorneys would continue handling criminal cases, while trained client services specialists would help eligible participants obtain housing, mental health counseling, substance use treatment, transportation, employment, and other services. Participation would be voluntary and confidential.

The legislation builds on a successful pilot program launched in Atlantic, Hudson, and Monmouth counties through a partnership between the Office of the Public Defender and the national nonprofit Partners for Justice. Early findings from the pilot program have been encouraging.

The legislation would require public defender employees to receive training in trauma-informed practices and collaborative defense. The office would submit annual reports documenting participation, outcomes, and costs.

The Senate bill is sponsored by Sens. Benjie Wimberly, D-Bergen and Passaic, and Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth.

Hearing: The Senate Judiciary Committee meets in Room 4 on the first floor, and the Assembly Judiciary Committee meets in Room 12 on the fourth floor.

NJ solitary confinement restrictions face threat of rollback

A separate hearing will examine New Jersey’s restrictions on solitary confinement as correctional officers press lawmakers for greater authority to discipline incarcerated people who assault prison staff.

The Isolated Confinement Restriction Act, signed into law in 2019, prohibits holding someone in isolation for more than 20 consecutive days or 30 total days within a 60-day period. It also prohibits the use of solitary confinement for certain vulnerable populations, including people with serious mental illnesses, pregnant women, older adults, and people younger than 21.

Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, chair of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, scheduled the listening session for Thursday morning to gather information in response to legislation proposed by the New Jersey Correctional Officers Union that she planned to sponsor.

The union representing correctional officers argues that the law has made prisons less safe by limiting disciplinary options for people who repeatedly assault staff members. William Sullivan, president of the union, wants lawmakers to expand the circumstances under which incarcerated people can be placed in isolation, and allow longer confinement periods for those classified as repeat violent offenders. The union also wants the maximum confinement period increased from 20 to 22 hours per day.

Prison reform advocates dispute the connection between the restrictions and assaults on officers, arguing that many incidents occur in housing units where incarcerated people already experience substantial isolation.

Members of the New Jersey Prison Justice Watch Coalition and other advocacy groups are expected to testify against weakening the restrictions. The committee will receive testimony but is not scheduled to vote on any legislation Thursday.

Advocates for incarcerated people point to staffing shortages in New Jersey prisons as a major contributor to behavioral problems. They say shortages have led to lockdowns, canceled recreation and programs, delayed disciplinary hearings, prolonged cell confinement, and mandatory overtime for corrections officers. Those conditions can affect prisoners’ behavior, creating additional security problems and operational disruptions. Expanding the use of isolation would not address the underlying staffing crisis, advocates argue.

A 2023 investigation by Corrections Ombudsperson Terry Schuster found that the Department of Corrections was violating the 2019 law restricting solitary confinement. Hundreds of incarcerated people in disciplinary housing units were spending more than 20 hours a day in their cells, sometimes leaving for less than an hour. Only 4% of incarcerated people surveyed reported receiving the required four hours outside their cells, while more than three-quarters said they received less than one hour.

The Department of Corrections has maintained that the law does not apply to disciplinary housing units because its policies provide sufficient time outside cells. But the ombudsperson’s investigations found that actual conditions often differed from those policies.

Problems have persisted. In the 2026 annual report, Schuster said his office continues to receive hundreds of complaints from people in disciplinary housing units about prolonged cell confinement and limited opportunities for movement or activities.

Research has linked prolonged solitary confinement to severe and lasting psychological and physical harm, including depression, anxiety, hallucinations, suicidal behavior, and worsening mental illness. Studies have also found that people subjected to solitary confinement face a higher risk of death after release from prison, including from suicide and drug overdoses.

A study published in JAMA Network Open found that people who experienced solitary confinement were 24% more likely to die within a year of release and 127% more likely to die of an opioid overdose within the first two weeks. Researchers have also raised concerns that prolonged isolation can increase violence and make it harder for people to reintegrate into society after incarceration, undermining its stated purpose of maintaining prison safety.

Hearing: Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, chaired by Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex and Mercer, 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, Committee Room 10, third floor, State House Annex, Trenton.