NJ to Remove Former Prisoners from Corrections Website

Starting Saturday, convicts who have spent time in prison in New Jersey will no longer appear on the state's inmate tracking website once they've been free at least a year.

The Corrections Department is also removing the names and photos of ex-prisoners who have been done parole for at least a year. State corrections officials tell The Star-Ledger that keeping former inmates on the website can hinder their attempts to get a new start in life.

The Corrections Department says the public and law enforcement can still get criminal histories by contacting the department. They also note the website only has the most recent convictions.

Civil rights groups praise the decision. But a police union says it's wrong to make it harder for the public to obtain such information.