Social advocates are applauding New Jersey’s efforts to reduce the state’s prison population. According to the Department of Corrections, there are currently almost 12,500 inmates in prison — a more than 50% drop from 11 years ago when more than 25,000 were imprisoned in New Jersey.
The decline is attributed to several factors, including sentencing reform. But advocates say that’s only a temporary solution if steps aren’t also taken to address how people, many of whom are Black and brown, are being sent to long-term prisons in the first place and how they’re treated once they get out.
“The prison system in New Jersey does a good job of managing incarceration inside, but we have been struggling to prepare people for reentry and have successful reentry,” said Todd Clear, distinguished professor at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice.
