TRENTON, N.J. – The details have not yet been released, but Governor Phil Murphy took his COVID-19 social-distancing crusade to a new extreme on Good Friday, announcing that he would issue a new executive order directing the release of more inmates, this time from New Jersey’s state prisons.
“Under this order, certain low-risk inmates whose age or health status puts them at particular risk for COVID-19, who had been perhaps denied parole within the last year, or whose sentences are to expire within the next three months, may be placed — and I say ‘may be’ — on temporary home confinement or granted parole, if already eligible, through an expedited process,’’ Murphy declared at his Friday COVID-19 press availability.
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“I want to stress that no one convicted of a serious crime, such as murder, sexual assault, among others, will be eligible for consideration,’’ Murphy added.
That’s not completely honest.
On March 23rd, the N.J. Supreme Court – acting with the consent of the Attorney General and Public Defender – had already directed the release of almost 1,000 county inmates, some of whom were jailed for “lower level” offenses including assaulting a law enforcement officer and failing to register as a sex offender.
Some of the inmates who were eligible under that original consent order had serious criminal records including one man who murdered a 16-year-old girl decades ago but was presently jailed for another lesser violation.
How the state could enforce home confinement for hundreds or even thousands of inmates who meet the review board’s criteria remains uncretain.
Murphy’s latest dramatic move was applauded by the ACLU but decried by Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden:
BREAKING: @GovMurphy announces that New Jersey Department of Corrections will home-confine or release people in prisons aged 60+, medically vulnerable, or due for parole or release in three months and who pose low safety risk.https://t.co/ai63afesWo
— ACLU of New Jersey (@ACLUNJ) April 10, 2020
Not a mention of the safety of our heroic corrections officers who are doing their jobs in a tough environment…. All about the criminals ! @njfop @NJSPBA https://t.co/AetG6ijL5m
— Shaun Golden (@sheriffgolden) April 10, 2020
Motivated by health and public safety?
Or social justice warriorism?
I’ll let you be the judge, Save Jerseyans.
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Save Jersey’s Founder and Blogger-in-Chief, MATT ROONEY is a nationally-noted and respected New Jersey political commentator. When he’s not on-line, radio or television advocating for conservative reform and challenging N.J. power-brokers, Matt is a practicing attorney at the law firm of DeMichele & DeMichele in Haddon Heights (Camden County).
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