New Jersey Senate Bill SR91

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/19/26

Caption

Urges Congress to propose amendment to United States Constitution to prohibit use of slavery or indentured servitude for individuals convicted of crime.

Summary

SR91 is a New Jersey Senate Resolution that urges Congress to propose a constitutional amendment eliminating the Thirteenth Amendment’s exception that permits slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for crime. The resolution argues that the current constitutional language leaves incarcerated people vulnerable to forced labor and that prison work often pays extremely low wages, does not provide meaningful job skills, and can benefit correctional systems and private prison operators economically. The resolution is not a state law change by itself; instead, it is a formal request that New Jersey’s Legislature send a message to Congress and the state’s congressional delegation to pursue federal constitutional reform. It cites statistics about incarceration, private prisons, and inmate wages to support the view that prison labor functions as a continuation of slavery or indentured servitude in practice. If adopted, it would have no direct effect on New Jersey criminal statutes, but it would add the State’s support to a national campaign to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Impact

SR91 would not directly amend New Jersey statutes or alter sentencing, corrections, or labor law in the state. Its legal effect is limited to expressing the Legislature’s position and directing the Secretary of the Senate to transmit the resolution to congressional leaders and New Jersey’s members of Congress. The practical impact is political and advocacy-oriented: it seeks to influence federal constitutional policy regarding prison labor and the Thirteenth Amendment exception for punishment after conviction.

Sentiment

The bill’s framing is strongly supportive of ending forced prison labor, and the text presents the issue as a civil rights and labor justice concern. The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded opposition, so the sentiment in the materials provided is one-sided and favorable. The resolution is presented as a moral and policy statement urging federal action rather than as a contested state regulatory measure.

Contention

The central point of contention is the Thirteenth Amendment’s exception clause, which allows involuntary servitude as punishment for crime. Supporters of the resolution view that exception as a constitutional loophole that enables exploitative prison labor, especially in private correctional facilities and low-wage prison work programs. Potential opponents would likely focus on the role of prison labor in institutional operations, rehabilitation, and correctional management, but no opposing arguments are recorded in the provided materials. Because there are no votes or hearings included, the extent of legislative disagreement cannot be determined from the record.