New Jersey Senate Bill S1155

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Requires award of Edna Mahan trauma credits to inmates incarcerated during period of investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by correctional police officers and staff.

Impact

The legislation specifically outlines that inmates who are awarded Edna Mahan trauma credits during the defined period of investigation—beginning April 26, 2018, to the bill's effective date—will receive a reduction in their sentences at a rate of 183 days for each year, or portion thereof, served during that timeframe. Notably, these credits are capped at a maximum of 365 days, and the bill does not affect an inmate's existing eligibility for parole. Thus, the bill attempts to provide relief to those who may have suffered due to the conditions within the facility, thereby aligning state responses with the documented abuses.

Summary

Bill S1155, sponsored by Senator Raj Mukherji, proposes a provision for awarding Edna Mahan trauma credits to inmates in the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women who were incarcerated during an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by staff and correctional police officers. This initiative stems from findings of a 2020 report by the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, which indicated that conditions at Edna Mahan violated the Eighth Amendment due to pervasive sexual misconduct among staff against inmates. The bill aims to address these historical injustices through a framework of trauma credits.

Contention

The discussion around S1155 will likely uncover points of contention regarding how trauma credits are quantified and the implications for those with sentences that may not be aligned with the nature of their offenses. Critics may argue that awarding such credits could inadvertently lessen accountability for inmates, while supporters assert that addressing historical abuses and injustices is necessary for a rehabilitative justice system. Given the background of the investigation and the subsequent legal actions, including settlements for affected inmates, this bill could catalyze broader discussions about policies and reform within New Jersey's corrections system.