Briann Lindsey has been incarcerated at New Jersey’s Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women for the last nine years. She is a survivor of domestic violence, and a mom to three young boys who were relocated to Florida shortly after her arrest. She talks with her sons daily. Every time, Lindsey said, they tell her how much they want her to come home and get them. 

Thanks to criminal justice reform in the state, Lindsey’s boys could get their wish much sooner than expected. 

On June 19, 2024, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order that created an advisory board to review and make recommendations on individual clemency applications. While each clemency application will be given consideration, only those from people who meet specific criteria will be expedited for review. 

Among those eligible for faster consideration are survivors of domestic or sexual violence or sex trafficking. People serving longer sentences because they opted for a trial rather than a plea deal are also eligible, as are those convicted of crimes that are no longer unlawful or would have resulted in a less severe sentence under current laws. 

Lindsey is among those who would qualify. 

As a first-time offender who was under age 25 at the time of arrest, I also qualify for expedited clemency under the New Jersey executive order. I was 24 when I was incarcerated in 1997. I am now in my 28th year of a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years to life.

I first filed an application for clemency shortly after Murphy took office in 2019. But I could never have imagined a move like this executive order. 

As the text of the executive order reads, “The worst moment in someone’s history should not serve as the sole defining moment for their future.” Society generally views the incarcerated population as incapable of change. By signing this legislation, Murphy signaled he has a different view. 

Murphy did not grant any clemencies during his first term. In fact, only 105 pardons and commutations had been granted in New Jersey in the 30 years prior to the executive order. This legislation is already changing that. By April 2025, his administration had already granted clemency to 129 people, a massive increase compared to the last three decades.

For those currently incarcerated in New Jersey state prisons, the sudden shift toward a more lenient clemency climate feels huge. And for those now facing the possibility of early release, it could mean everything. 

Since a JPay blast announcing the initiative went out to the population last year, the atmosphere inside Edna Mahan has shifted. For many, a sense of excitement was immediately palpable, and some residents were hopeful for the first time since landing in prison. 

Even people who did not fall into one of the categories for expedited review felt a sense of optimism.

Like many others, Kathleen Dorsett was labeled a violent offender after her murder conviction. After 15 years of incarceration, she believes the new reform may signal a new beginning.  

“For those who have exhausted the court system, this is a glimmer of hope,” Dorsett said as she crocheted a brown stuffed bear.

Other women at Edna Mahan were initially skeptical of the executive order. 

Many women have traveled long distances through the court system, filing one appeal after another. They have waited months to be assigned a court-appointed attorney, then a couple of years to file motions or briefs, then another year or longer for a decision, only to be denied in the end. They have summoned the strength to repeat the process, which takes a heavy toll. 

Some women worried the clemency initiative may result in the same emotional burden as these draining court processes.

Keyana Knight waited five months after the initial announcement to submit an application for clemency. 

“I was already in and out of the courts, with no relief,” she said. “So I thought, why should I apply for clemency? It’s all the same.”

But then, in December 2024, Murphy granted 33 pardons and three commutations of sentences. Denise Staples, Dawn Wilson-Jackson and Myrna Diaz, who had all been housed at Edna Mahan, spent Christmas at home. Seeing them leave the housing unit carrying bins of property helped reality set in for the rest of the women.

Since the December releases, the number of women scheduling appointments for help with clemency applications has drastically increased, according to representatives at prisoner legal services. 

After four years of incarceration, Shonette StClair decided to apply for clemency for the first time.

“My growth has brought forth new opportunities, hope, faith and most importantly belief in myself,” she said. StClair hopes the governor will see her progress, too.

Despite Murphy urging all justice-impacted residents to submit an application for clemency, some women are choosing not to file. A kitchen worker who said she received the lowest sentence for her crime explained her perspective while serving breakfast. 

“I don’t want to take a slot away from someone who is serving an excessive amount of time,” she said. 

While a noble sentiment, the legislation emphasized that every application submitted will be considered individually.

In addition to New Jerseyans, Edna Mahan houses out-of-state incarcerated women. While unable to submit an application for clemency in New Jersey, some have been inspired to file for clemency in their own states. They hope their governors may similarly review their crimes through a fresh lens, seeing the women they are today.

Ronda Slovin was inspired to submit a clemency application with the governor’s office in her state of Florida. Slovin first applied for clemency in 2018, after 28 years of incarceration, and was denied. Having now spent 34 years inside, Slovin decided to resubmit after seeing the change in New Jersey. She is praying for a positive response.

Lindsey, the mom of three, was interviewed by the governor’s representatives in early March as part of vetting for the second cohort of clemency releases, which were scheduled for April. 

After the interview, Lindsey felt numb, she told me; the experience was surreal. Then she let out a scream that bounced off the gymnasium walls: “I am going to be able to hold my children soon!” 

In the end, Lindsey’s enthusiasm was premature. Her case was not decided in time for the April batch of releases. It may be in the next round, rumored to be in August. This leaves Lindsey — and the rest of us — waiting, on edge.

Editor’s note: For more information on applying for clemency in New Jersey, visit nj.gov/clemency.