Arnold Ventures Applauds New Jersey Governor Murphy’s Executive Order on a New Approach to Clemency

WASHINGTON D.C. (Jun. 19, 2024) – Today, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued an executive order creating categories for expedited clemency in the state, as well as forming an advisory board responsible for reviewing every petition for clemency and providing counsel to the governor. Kevin Ring, vice president of criminal justice advocacy at Arnold Ventures, issued this statement:

“We are grateful to Governor Murphy for making clear his intent to use his clemency authority to revisit lengthy prison sentences. The best evidence suggests that long sentences are far more costly and less effective at deterring and reducing crime than other tools at the state’s disposal. 

“Expediting consideration of commutation requests when a petitioner meets certain criteria – such as when someone gets a much longer sentence simply because they exercised their right to trial or when a mandatory sentencing requirement has been repudiated by the legislature but the change was not applied retroactively – is a smart approach and we hope other governors follow suit.”

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.

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