On May 1, at our social justice gubernatorial forum, we asked nine gubernatorial candidates their views on some of the greatest challenges of our time: addressing income inequality; re-imagining criminal justice; building an inclusive democracy; and interrupting systems that deny human dignity and human rights.
The Institute has sent each gubernatorial candidates a copy of our Platform Document, A Social Justice Vision for New Jersey. The Institute also shared with a survey asking for their positions on each of our proposals and asked for the survey to be returned by June 1. To view the survey, please click here.
Our Vision recommends, among other proposals:
Raise the Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour in New Jersey. As one of the wealthiest states in the nation, with one of the highest costs of living, New Jersey should phase in an increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour, starting immediately by raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour. Read our report on economic justice, Bridging the Two Americas: Employment & Economic Opportunity in Newark & Beyond.
Close Hayes and Jamesburg Youth Prisons. New Jersey must end the failed experiment of youth incarceration by closing Hayes and Jamesburg-the state's girls' youth prison and the largest youth prison for boys, respectively, and reinvest this money in a community-based system of care. Read our report on New Jersey's juvenile justice system, Bring Our Children Home: Ain't I A Child.
Restore Voting Rights to People with Criminal Convictions. New Jersey must restore the right to vote to those who are parole or probation -- over 70,000 people who are living in our communities, raising families, and paying taxes. Read our report on voting rights in New Jersey, published with the Brennan Center at NYU School of Law, An Agenda for a Renewed Democracy in New Jersey.