ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 2516
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: JUNE 9, 1997
The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2516 with committee amendments.
Assembly Bill No. 2516 amends P.L.1979, c.441 (C.30:4-123.51) and supplements chapter 4 of Title 30 of the Revised Statutes to eliminate parole eligibility and both work and "good time" credits for inmates who violate restraining orders or harass or threaten victims of, or witnesses to, their crimes.
Under the provisions of the bill, any inmate who violates any restraining order imposed by the court pursuant to the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.) or any other law, or who violates the provisions of N.J.S.2C:12-3 (terroristic threats); N.J.S.2C:33-4 (harassment); or P.L.1992, c.209 (C.2C:12-10) (stalking) against the victim of, or any witnesses to, the crime for which he is incarcerated, would forfeit his eligibility for parole and lose any work credits or progressive ("good time") credits he has earned.
The bill also provides that an inmate who is released on parole and who, while on parole, violates any such restraining order or is convicted of harassing any victim of, or witness to, the offense for which he was incarcerated, would automatically have his parole revoked and be returned to prison.
Currently, violations of restraining orders imposed by the court pursuant to the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.) and terroristic threats, harassment or stalking committed against a victim of, or witness to, a crime are not specifically mentioned in the law as conditions for denying parole eligibility, or a basis for revoking parole or grounds for denying work or "good time" credits.
The committee amendments are technical in nature. They were adopted to correct a statutory citation and to bring the bill into conformance with the provisions of P.L.1997, c.60.