Earn Your Way Out, S761/A1986, provides incentives for inmates participating in a re-entry plan established upon entering prison, not upon leaving prison, and the certainty of being released on a certain date, the inmates presumptive parole date, absent a serious offense in prison. Inmates will earn one day off their sentences for every five days participation in a re-entry plan which includes education, job training, therapy, journaling and community service.

Earn Your Way Out will significantly reduce New Jersey’s prison population and the rate of repeat offenses. It will change the culture of corrections in our society to give inmates an opportunity to become better persons upon leaving prison than when they entered.

Earn Your Way Out, under the sponsorship of Senator Lesniak, was vetoed in the last legislative session by Governor Christie. Senator Cunningham and Assemblywoman Sumter have reintroduced Earn Your Way Out in the current legislative session. It passed the State Senate on June 25, 2018 and was released from the Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee on October 15, 2018. It was then referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Earn Your Way Out, the most significant criminal justice reform initiative under consideration in America, needs your support to get through the Assembly and signed by Governor Murphy.