Criminal Legal System

America’s criminal legal system is rooted in excessively punitive policies that have resulted in over-criminalization, mass incarceration, and racial injustice, with the brunt of harms disproportionately falling on people of color, as well as immigrants, people with low-incomes, and LGBTQ+ people.

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America’s criminal legal system is rooted in excessively punitive policies that have resulted in over-criminalization, mass incarceration, and racial injustice, with the brunt of harms disproportionately falling on people of color, especially Black Americans, as well as immigrants, people with low-incomes, and LGBTQ+ people.

The ACLU-NJ works to make our criminal legal system more just with a guiding vision of racial justice. We challenge the imbalances of power and the discrimination that have come to define our country’s criminal legal system. We push to re-envision of the role of police in our communities, confront the disproportionate power of prosecutors in criminal cases, and advocate for the decarceration of New Jersey’s jails and prisons – which have the worst Black-white disparity of any state in the nation.

The Latest

Press Release
Press Release ACLU of New Jersey

ACLU-NJ Celebrates Fourth Round of Releases Under The Clemency Project

The ACLU of New Jersey celebrates Governor Murphy’s announcement today of 36 pardons and 19 commutations as part of his commitment to categorical clemency.
Issue Areas: Decarceration, Criminal Legal System, Racial & Economic Justice
News & Commentary
open prison doors

The Corrections Ombudsperson Office is a Critical Resource to Expose Deplorable Prison Conditions in New Jersey

New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), the oldest operating prison in the United States, has been condemned for over a century. Advocacy groups have called for its closure since 1917 because of its outdated facilities and inhumane conditions.
News & Commentary
People's Agenda

Lawmakers Can Ensure a Fairer New Jersey During Lame Duck

Lame duck is an opportunity for lawmakers to build a fairer, more equitable future for all New Jerseyans. The ACLU-NJ calls on the Legislature to prioritize these key issues and bills ahead of the Sherrill administration.
News & Commentary
Hands holding up a sign with word

Municipal Courts Must Eliminate Public Defender Application Fees to Ensure the Right to Counsel is Accessible to All

Access to counsel should not be hidden behind a paywall.
Court Case
Nov 05, 2025

State v. Garcia-Moronta & State v. Reyes-Rodriguez

Amicus briefs arguing that the delay in trying a defendant caused by their detention by ICE or deportation should count against the State in a speedy trial analysis when the State has failed to take reasonable steps to effectuate the defendant’s appearance for their criminal proceedings.
Court Case
Oct 17, 2025

State v. Mustafa

Amicus brief arguing that a categorical rule requiring a defendant to present expert testimony in order to raise a diminished capacity defense is unconstitutional.
Court Case
Oct 17, 2025

State v. Arrington

Amicus brief arguing that a categorical rule requiring a defendant to present expert testimony in order to raise an insanity defense is unconstitutional.
Court Case
Oct 17, 2025

State v. Butler

Amicus brief arguing the prosecutor's misconduct in her opening and closing statements significantly prejudiced the defendant.