In 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law a measure that created a process for those convicted of some low-level offenses to have their criminal records expunged.

After the law took effect, the number of final expungement orders jumped from 36,120 between 2018 and 2020 to 144,071 between 2021 and 2023. That led to a big backlog in the processing of expungements, but the process has speeded up.

“We are committed to continuing to improve the expungement system in order to help individuals to overcome their past, as we help pave the way for a brighter future for countless individuals,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement last week, as he and Murphy noted a big reduction in the backlog.

The number of expungements waiting for final processing is now at its lowest point since the legislation took effect, with a nearly 70% reduction in the backlog, according to the attorney general’s office.

Nearly 110,000 orders were processed in 2023 and the first three months of 2024 combined.