This bill aims to enhance the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) used in New Jersey's pretrial process by requiring that the risk assessment consider any charges related to the use or possession of firearms as significant risk factors. The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation (SCI) has raised concerns regarding the increasing prevalence of illegal firearms, including ghost guns and modified weapons, which pose a serious threat to public safety. The bill emphasizes that reckless discharges of firearms in public should be classified as violent offenses, as they inherently carry the risk of harming innocent bystanders.

To implement these changes, the bill amends existing legal language to ensure that the approved risk assessment instrument includes firearm-related offenses in its evaluation of a defendant's risk of failing to appear in court and the potential danger to the community. This adjustment is intended to reflect the evolving nature of firearm technology and its implications for public safety, urging the Judiciary to reassess the PSA risk factors accordingly. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:162-20, 2A:162-25