This bill aims to strengthen penalties for criminal street gang recruitment, particularly when minors are involved. It establishes mandatory minimum sentences, including seven years for soliciting or recruiting a minor and ten years for targeting minors under 14. If significant bodily injury occurs during the recruitment, offenders face a minimum of five years in prison. The bill also introduces accomplice liability, holding individuals accountable for encouraging or coercing others into gang activities. Additionally, it expands the definition of gang-related crimes to include those committed during recruitment efforts and imposes a first-degree crime charge with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for accomplices soliciting minors.

Moreover, the bill introduces specific penalties for offenses occurring near schools, classifying them as a fourth-degree crime if the offender lives within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school or playground, with certain exceptions. Individuals convicted of these offenses who work or volunteer in child-contact positions will also face fourth-degree charges. It is a crime for anyone to knowingly hire or provide volunteer opportunities to individuals with such convictions in child-contact roles. Penalties for a fourth-degree crime include up to 18 months in prison and fines of up to $10,000, thereby enhancing legal measures against gang-related activities and protecting vulnerable populations, especially minors.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:33-28, 2C:33-29