Let's fix NJ's woke criminal justice system
By; Doug Steinhardt
Your Turn
Guest columnist
..... In the criminal justice system, it;s what you;re convicted of - not what you're charged with - that determines your sentence, and New Jersey's woke, broken criminal justice system works to let criminals lose. If you don't believe me, research yourself, watch the news or walk the streets.
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In New Jersey, you can attack a person with a machete, hack him up and rob him, but woke prosecutors routinely plead the crime down to third-degree aggravated assault or less so the defendant is eligible for automatic parole release, or APR, after serving only a third of their sentence. That means no parole hearing and no chance for the criminal justice system to weight the offender's readiness for release or ensure he or she has the tools and resources needed to succeed outside prison.
..... The same thing is happening with child sexual abusers. Currently, a person convicted of possessing fewer than 1,000 images of child sexual abuse is eligible for APR. To avoid the parole hearing hurdle for predators possessing more than 1,000 images and release them after serving only a third of their sentence, sentencing and conviction reports are often manipulated by a woke, broken judiciary that intentionally omits the number of images. Unable to establish a number more or less than 1,000 images, the system is forced to grant APR. Sick yet?
..... Consider animal cruelty. A year ago, the Asbury Park Press reported that a man was charged with raping his cat, chopping it up and recording the assault. Under New Jersey's "Earn Your Way Out" law, this violent offender is eligible for automatic parole release with no hearing, no chance to determine whether he received psychological counseling while in prison, and no chance to explore his chances of success or recidivism on release. New Jersey law simply releases him back into society, somewhere.
..... Meanwhile, sate leaders tout gun crime statistics and argue their gun laws are working, but only really want to further restrict access to lawful gun owners. gun crimes are routinely reduced to possession that result in probation or APR. More egregiously, New Jersey typically tracks gunshot "hits" when it gives you gun crime statistics, not no-hit discharge or "shots fired." that means if a person fires two shots and hits a victim, it is recored as a shooting. conversely, if the same person and nine friends participated in a 10-person shootout, empty 10 rounds each and shoot cars, buildings stop signs, windows and houses but never each other, with no arrest or only minor charges, the 100 shots aren't counted at all in often-cited New Jersey gun statistics. It's a state-sponsored statistics scam.
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The woke tactic used to let criminals loss are even more devious. third-degree aggravated assaults and aggravated assault with a "weapon" other than a "gun" both yield APR. First- and second-degree aggravated assaults - like the machete hacking - are routinely reduce to third-degree offenses or the sentencing serpents manipulated to reflect "weapon" not "gun," so the crimes bypass parole hearings and net APR: Serve a third of your time and go free.
..... To make matters worse, taking classes or programs in prison is necessary to "earn Your Way Out,: but inmates aren't made to take or complete the class or program: they just have to sign up for it.
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Just last month, [11/2024] a violent offender free under New Jersey's Criminal Justice Reform Act killed thee people in New York after committing serious offenses in Hoboken and Union city on January 11 and January 17. [2024] with their sentences already cut by two-thirds, criminals who re-offend after APR are routinely diverted to non-custodial programs or have their charges reduced to non-custodial crimes to keep them out of prison and the state's recidivism numbers down, all to give the illusion that "Earn Your Way Out" and APR are working.
..... They aren't working, not as written, enacted or administered. That's why I sponsored Senate Bill S3912 to amend the "Earn Your Way Out" law. My bill removes crimes like human trafficking, child sexual abuse, soliciting or supporting terrorism, leading a drug trafficking network, sexual extortion, endangering the welfare of a child by abuse or neglect, certain aggravated arson, certain animal cruelty crimes and all first-degree charges form the list of crimes eligible for APR.
..... The New Jersey criminal justice system is woke, broke and rotten. It's well past time to fix it.
..... State Senator Dough Steinhardt, a Republican, represents New Jeerer's 23rd Legislative District, which includes parts of Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties.