Because of the advocacy of The Clemency Project and our partners across the state, Governor Murphy has embraced a categorical approach to his clemency powers. In doing so, he has reaffirmed his promise to deliver racial and social justice, restore hope to families, and set a new standard for New Jersey’s clemency practices.
Governor Murphy’s 2024 executive order created an advisory board to review petitions for pardons and commutations, specifically expediting the process for people who meet specified criteria for consideration. By shortening sentences and restoring rights of incarcerated people with shared experiences, categorical clemency demonstrates change in the criminal legal system that is urgently needed. As of today, Governor Murphy has granted 169 people clemency, including pardoning 40 individuals in September 2025.
While commutations reduce the sentence lengths of individuals who are currently incarcerated or under supervision, pardons are typically granted to those who have completed sentences and serve as formal forgiveness from the state. Individuals who receive pardons must have demonstrated a commitment to rehabilitation over a significant period of time, usually 10 years. Although pardons do not expunge a person’s record, they can restore civil rights such as eligibility for employment, housing, professional licensure, and the ability to serve on a jury, among others. Having access to these rights allows individuals to fully re-enter society after release, reconnect with their loved ones, and embrace the freedoms they have worked for and deserve.
Pardons can impact a person’s future tremendously and create positive change in their lives and the lives of their family and community by removing systemic barriers. ACLU-NJ's Clemency Project focuses on commutations; however, pardons represent a crucial part of clemency work because they center rehabilitation and second chances.
Not only does rehabilitation start during incarceration, but it also continues beyond the walls of a prison. Those who are released undoubtedly face challenges, but each person granted a pardon is proof that they have risen above certain challenges and can continue to rebuild their lives without the entire burden of a criminal conviction. Their stories provide hope for each incarcerated person working to transform their lives and for each of our clients who await a commutation.
Clemency – whether through a pardon or commutation – champions rehabilitation. The positive transformation we have witnessed in the Clemency Project is undeniable. The joy that comes from clemency is immeasurable and is worth spreading by giving more people second chances and by giving society more chances to witness redemption.
Since our nation’s founding, clemency has not only addressed individual reform, but it has also been relied upon to address harmful shortcomings within the criminal legal system. New Jersey has the nation’s highest racial disparities among its prison population, which makes categorical clemency an invaluable tool that is fundamental to racial justice and essential in repairing the harms of mass incarceration. Clemency is not simply forgiveness – it is recognizing the dignity of those who have been trapped in the criminal legal system, while acknowledging as a society change is necessary.
We hope future New Jersey governors will continue to expand their use of categorical clemency to mitigate injustice and prioritize people over punishment.
