State Reform Profile
New Jersey
New Jersey eliminated cash bail and has seen dramatic reductions in pretrial detention. Despite this, racial disparities persist.
Key Statistics
Incarceration by Race
Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.
Recidivism Rate
Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.
Cost vs. Alternatives
Active & Passed Reforms
4 initiativesCriminal Justice Reform ActView full details →
Eliminated cash bail for most offenses, replacing with risk-based pretrial release.
Public Question 1 – MarijuanaView full details →
Legalized recreational marijuana with equity provisions.
Clean Slate ActView full details →
Automatic expungement for people 10+ years conviction-free.
Data Sources & Methodology
Reform data sourced from state legislative records, BJS Criminal Justice Statistics, the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends dataset, and The Sentencing Project. AltReform prediction scores (0,100) are generated by our ML model trained on 20+ years of state-level reform outcomes, weighting recidivism reduction, racial equity impact, cost-effectiveness, and political feasibility. Statistics are the most recent available (2021,2024).
Want to analyze a specific reform proposal for New Jersey?
Open The Policy Studio™ →