New Jersey made history on Jan. 1, 2017, when it essentially ended money bail -- thanks to years of work by bipartisan advocates and the support of Garden State voters.
Pretrial incarceration has dropped 17.2 percent since these reforms took effect. But the real measure of success lies in the stories of the people whose lives have been improved.
This documentary from Brave New Films shares the story of Tyler, who was arrested and given probation following an altercation with a relative. The prosecutor and court decided he didn't deserve prison time, and thanks to New Jersey's system, he didn't have to sit in jail for months to learn that fate.
Every year, thousands of people are arrested for crimes that lead to no prison sentence, and many have charges dropped entirely. New Jersey’s new pretrial justice system unshackles these people from the predatory money bail requirements that would otherwise leave them behind bars. The result: more stability for families, jobs, homes and communities.
Learn more about the ACLU-NJ's vision to end mass incarceration in our state, including through making New Jersey's pretrial protections as strong as possible.
