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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey Bill A621 Caps Future Parole Re-Hearing Dates at Three Years
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary CommitteeSponsors: Gary Schaer and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Assembly Bill 621 caps at three years the maximum amount of time the State Parole Board can require an adult inmate denied parole to wait before their next scheduled eligibility hearing. The measure amends existing corrections statutes and takes effect on the first day of the second month following enactment.
Inmates denied parole will have a legally mandated ceiling on the waiting period before reconsideration, replacing indefinite or longer scheduling practices for certain offenses.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
adult inmates denied parole
Adult inmates denied parole face a statutory maximum limit of three years before their next parole eligibility hearing.
State Parole Board
The State Parole Board must comply with the three-year maximum limit when scheduling future parole eligibility dates.
Key Facts
- The New Jersey State Parole Board is prohibited from scheduling a future parole eligibility date more than three years after an inmate is denied release.
- The three-year cap applies both to the general schedule developed by the board and to individual panel denials where dates differ from the standard schedule.
- Future parole eligibility dates cannot be altered to account for sentence remissions for good behavior or work assignments, except as permitted under section 8 of P.L.1979, c.441.
- Inmates are to be released on the new parole eligibility date unless evidence shows failure to cooperate in rehabilitation or a reasonable expectation of parole violation.
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- Failure to cooperate in rehabilitation for inmates with mental illness includes failing to fully participate in or cooperate with prescribed treatment offered during incarceration.
- The act takes effect on the first day of the second month next following enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum time an inmate denied parole can be made to wait for their next hearing under this bill?
Can good behavior remissions shorten the newly established parole eligibility date?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy35Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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