Inmates in NJ prisons will now be counted as residents of their last known address

Inmates incarcerated in New Jersey’s prisons will now be counted as residents of their most recent address when it comes to drawing the state's legislative districts.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law Tuesday that will change how the state's political power is distributed when it comes to prisoners. New Jersey has become the seventh U.S. state to enact such a law.
New Jersey’s prisoners were originally counted as residents of wherever they were incarcerated before the bill was enacted. Now they will be counted as residents of their last known address.
This bill is the latest the governor has signed in an effort to reform New Jersey’s prison system. In December, Murphy signed bills restoring voting rights to convicts who are out of prison on parole or probation and to make it easier for people convicted of lower-level crimes to clear their records.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.