NEWARK – Governor Phil Murphy spoke at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice’s 25th Anniversary Gala to discuss his Administration’s continued commitment to empowering communities of color across New Jersey. In his remarks, Governor Murphy highlighted his Administration’s progress in uplifting individuals who have previously been involved in the criminal justice system and publicly endorsed the legislative effort to restore the right to serve on juries to formerly incarcerated persons. The bill is currently sponsored by Senator Raj Mukherji and Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and other prime sponsors last session or this session include Senator Brian Stack, Senator Angela McKnight, and Assemblymembers Shanique Speight and Reginald Atkins.
Currently, approximately 500,000 New Jersey residents are barred from jury service for life, with this population disproportionately coming from communities of color. A number of other states, including Maine, Indiana, North Dakota, and Washington, restore the right to serve on a jury after an individual has completed their term of incarceration.