On Sunday, March 22, 2020, the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court entered an Order providing for the commutation or suspension of many county jail sentences. The Order, which was expected to result in the release of 1000 people, was entered upon agreement by the Attorney General, the County Prosecutors Association, the Public Defender and the ACLU. This webinar features many of the key players to discuss the actual terms of the Order, how they came to agreement and how this agreement might serve as a model for decreasing jail populations to limit the spread of COVID-19 in other states.
March 26, 2020 COVID-19 WEBINAR SERIES
New Jersey COVID-19 Jail Release Agreement
Panelists
- Andrew Bruck, Executive Assistant Attorney General, State of New Jersey
- Joseph Krakora, Chief Public Defender, New Jersey State Office of Public Defender
- Alexander Shalom, Senior Supervising Attorney, ACLU of New Jersey
Moderator
- Miriam Gohara, Clinical Associate Professor, Yale Law School; Special Advisor, ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants
Joint Sponsors: Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, Criminal Justice Section
Co-Sponsors: ABA Center for Public Interest Law, ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice, ABA Commission on Homelessness & Poverty, ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division, ABA Law Student Division, ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, ABA Young Lawyers Division, National Black Law Student Association
Resources
Summary of Information Provided in Webinar
Letter to Chief Justice Rabner Re: OTSC
COVID-19 Proposed Order to Show Cause
New Jersey Amended Consent Order
New Jersey Release Rules Explanation for Prisoners
1,000 Inmates Will Be Released From N.J. Jails to Curb Coronavirus Risk
The New York Times | March 23, 2020
As the Coronavirus Spreads, some in Criminal Justice System Resist Call to Keep People out of Jail
The Washington Post | March 24, 2020
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