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 seeks to address the inadequacies in the current PSA, which does not categorize reckless discharges of firearms in public as violent offenses, despite the inherent risks they pose to bystanders.

To implement these changes, the bill amends existing legal language to ensure that the approved risk assessment instrument includes considerations for any indictable crime, disorderly persons offense, or petty disorderly persons offense involving firearms. This adjustment is intended to provide a more accurate reflection of the dangers associated with firearms in the context of pretrial release decisions. The bill emphasizes the need for the Judiciary to reassess the PSA risk factors to better account for the evolving landscape of firearm technology and its implications for public safety.

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