Social Justice
Watchdog sues Newark, Jersey City landlords over housing discrimination claims
Housing Rights Initiative has sued 30 landlords alleging they discriminate against people who use Section 8 vouchers to pay apartment rent.
Parental notification policy shines light on fight over gender, LGBTQ issues in schools
Schools in New Jersey have increasingly adopted policies decried as anti-LGBTQ, from book and rainbow flag bans to "forced outing."
As prison population grays, calls grow for ‘geriatric parole’
A new report calls for "rehabiltative release" of elderly incarcerated people. Legislation that would create "geriatric parole" is stalled.
Bill advances to fund community crisis response teams to reduce police violence
Lawmakers advanced bills to fund community crisis response teams and mental health services for officers. The goal: Reducing police violence.
‘Zombie drug’ the newest hurdle in the fight to reduce drug deaths
Drug deaths are down, but New Jersey's drug fighters say the horse sedative xylazine creates new challenges to ensure the death toll doesn't rise.
New report on police misconduct underscores disparities in cop discipline
Police watchdogs say details missing from a new state report on police misconduct prove why full transparency is needed.
Officer misconduct on the rise, as more face major discipline, report shows
Major discipline against law enforcement in New Jersey crept up in 2022, with corrections officers the busiest offenders, a new report shows.
Union County to print Spanish ballots after feds allege Voting Rights Act violations
A federal complaint charged the county violated provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act that guarantees language access.
Shifting policy on prison placement of transgender people sparks scrutiny
Most transgender people in New Jersey prisons are not housed in facilities that match their gender identity, data shows.
Local police flout state rules to discourage public reporting of police misconduct, report finds
Local police practices appear intended to discourage complaints against cops, especially among some segments of the population, the report says.
Lags in criminal justice reporting raise reformers’ concerns about transparency
Delays plague public reporting of police major discipline and other metrics the Attorney General oversees, sparking transparency concerns.
Anguished by recent shootings, retirees rally for gun control laws
Former state Sen. Loretta Weinberg organized a rally of senior citizens calling for stricter federal gun regulations.