New Jersey Parents Could Face Jail Under New Law Targeting Misbehaving Kids

Parents in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, could face fines and even jail time if their children repeatedly engage in certain offenses, following the passage of a new ordinance last month.

Known as the “Minors and Parent Responsibility” law, it makes parents accountable for public disturbances caused by their children. 

Gloucester Township police said parents could be fined up to $2,000 or sentenced to 90 days in prison if their children are found guilty of multiple offenses in juvenile court. 

The measure comes after a large-scale brawl at the Gloucester Township Day and Drone Show last year, which involved roughly 500 minors. 

Eleven people, including nine teens, were arrested, and three officers were injured during the chaos. 

Under the new ordinance, 28 specific offenses could trigger parental accountability, including assault, mugging, drunkenness, drug dealing, disorderly conduct, destruction of playground equipment, immorality and loitering.

“Parents are feeling pretty outraged,” Alex Bougher, chair of the Bergen County chapter of parents’ rights group Moms for Liberty, told the New York Post. “They’re getting attacked from every angle here.”

Police Chief David Harkins told NJ.com the law was written in “general legal language” and that parents would initially receive warnings before any penalties were imposed. 

He also noted that Gloucester Township modeled the ordinance after similar policies in other municipalities, such as Wildwood, a smaller community along the Jersey Shore. 

Gloucester Township has a population of nearly 66,900 and is located about eight miles from Philadelphia, per the outlet.

Mayor David Mayer expressed his support for the law by stating, “We have to hold parents responsible.” 

Bougher argued the ordinance oversteps parental rights and sets a “dangerous precedent.” 

She highlighted a conflict with New Jersey public schools’ Policy 5756, which requires teachers to keep certain student information confidential from parents for safety reasons. 

“Parents are basically being told that they don’t have rights as parents to know what’s going on with their children,” she told The Post, “but then on the other side, it’s ‘How could you not know what was going on with your children? How come you didn’t step in?’” 

Nicole Stouffer, an organizer with the New Jersey Project, described the law as impractical. 

“A 90-day jail sentence is extreme—for parents who maybe have other kids, maybe they have a problem kid,” she said. “Now this person can’t pay their bills and their mortgage or take care of their children? And they’re going to go to jail because they have one child that’s out of control?”

Stouffer also attributed some challenges to post-pandemic policy changes that she says have limited police intervention in minor disturbances. 

“We have eliminated powers for the police to maybe do their job,” she said. “It’s just an extreme response to something that’s not being taken care of by the state.”

The ordinance has sparked ongoing debate over the scope of parental responsibility and municipal authority in addressing juvenile misconduct. 

Residents, advocacy groups and officials continue to monitor its implementation, warning that Gloucester Township’s approach could influence similar policies across New Jersey. 

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