Sentencing Commission work in NJ
As previously discussed in this post, New Jersey has recently created a Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing, and that Commission has now finished its “First Interim Report to the Governor and Legislature.” I am pleased to be able to provide that report for downloading below.
This brief report provides more background than substance, but even its quick discussion of the state of sentencing in New Jersey and the work of the Commission to date provides a fascinating window into challenges that most states are facing in the arenas of sentencing and corrections in 2005. (And this terrific editorial today from NorthJersey.com makes clear that the press is going to be watching as the NJ Commission tries to meet these challenges.)
I recommend the entire report, though I particularly like the optimism in this closing paragraph:
In summary, we commend the Legislature and Executive Branch for their prescience by establishing an entity well-suited to guide both with regard to the profoundly changing landscape of sentencing law, practice and policy. Moreover, the Commission has progressed much since its inception to provide the Legislature and other “stakeholders” with the guidance necessary to promote a sentencing system that simultaneously protects public safety, fosters a greater degree of fairness, and provides meaningful and cost-effective responses to crime. The Commission is wholly committed to these efforts and plans to provide the blue print that will reshape and improve the State’s sentencing scheme and penal system.