the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 124, establishing a process by which the Department of Corrections may grant temporary reprieve to certain at-risk inmates during the public health emergency. The Governor’s Executive Order creates the Emergency Medical Review Committee to make recommendations on which inmates should be placed on temporary home confinement through the Commissioner’s statutory furlough authority. All recommendations to place an individual on home confinement will be made after thorough review and consideration of the conditions that an individual may face in the community.“My Administration’s top priority is the health and safety of all nine million New Jerseyans, including those who are currently incarcerated,” said Governor Murphy. “The correctional setting presents unique challenges to social distancing, particularly for vulnerable populations. Allowing some of our most vulnerable individuals who do not pose a public safety threat to temporarily leave prison will protect both their health, and the health and safety of the men and women working in our correctional facilities. With this action, New Jersey will join several other states, and the federal government, in taking necessary steps to strike a balance between public health, public safety, and victims’ rights.”
