Governor Phil Murphy begins clemency initiative on Juneteenth

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) -- Second chances don't always come, but Governor Phil Murphy wants to help give a second chance to some, as he announces a new clemency initiative.

"Today I am honored to announce that our State is reaching a major milestone in our own journey not only for racial justice, but justice for every New Jerseyan," said Murphy.

On Juneteenth, Murphy signed an order to spur the initiative, which begins by the forming of an advisory board - made up of six people who will volunteer their time. They will review applications taken online, broken up into categories, and send to the governor's office recommendations for pardon or commutation of a sentence.

Among the many clemency advocates Wednesday at Newark's St. James A.M.E Church was hip-hop artist Robert "Meek Mill" Williams, who is the co-founder and co-chair of REFORM Alliance, an organization for criminal justice reform that helped advocate for Wednesday's clemency executive order.

"Clemency, second chances, giving people a fair shot," said Meek Mill. "I grew up on that side of life and I never thought or imagined I'd be in rooms like this. You guys give me the courage and the energy to use my platform to keep pushing forward better our communities."

As the independent board and the Governor's Office review the cases, they say they'll go one person at a time. It's the process the Governor hopes will be transformative.

"It has an enormously disproportionate impact on Black and brown individuals and their families and communities," said Murphy, "and has a significant impact we believe on women who are victims of domestic violence, who are suffering under penalties and sentences that were given decades ago in some cases."

Former Governor Jim McGreevey serves as the chair of NJ Reentry Corporation, a non-profit that provides services to people returning from incarceration.

"Part of justice is mercy," said McGreevey, "and I think what the governor is saying is it's not only what happens in the confines of a courtroom, which is critically important to determine guilt or innocence, but the length, the determination, the appropriateness of pardon and clemency, that history of domestic violence, that history of abuse, ought to be taken into account."

Governor Murphy says the board should be looking at its first batch of applications in about 6 months.