Parents now face jail time for their kids’ bad behavior in this NJ town

🔴 New Jersey town's new rules hold parents responsible

🔴 It's in response to multiple problems with rowdy teens

🔴 The town had to cancel its annual festival due to threats

Keep your children under control or face the consequences.

That's the general message to parents from the Gloucester Township Council.

Effective immediately, any parent who fails to stop their kids from breaking the law in the township could face 90 days behind bars or a fine of up to $2,000.

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It covers 28 crimes, ranging from felonies to chronic truancy.

The ordinance, passed at the most recent council meeting on July 28, is a direct response to incidents of bad behavior, including rampaging teens who ruined Gloucester Township Day 2024.

What crimes committed by children can put a Gloucster Township parent in jail?

The ordinance specifically targets the parents or legal guardians of any minor under the age of 18 years old.

Harsher penalties, such as jail time, appear reserved for parents of children who are repeatedly found guilty in juvenile court.

However, there is a wide range of crimes for which a parent can be held responsible.

Some are relatively straightforward; these include felonies, muggings, assaults, sale and use of narcotics, and public indecency.

A few of the crimes on the list appear up to interpretation, including "immorality" and knowingly associating with "immoral people." There are also some

The full list of crimes included in the ordinance is below:

✅ A felony, high misdemeanor, misdemeanor, or other offense.

✅ Violation of any penal law or municipal ordinance.

✅ Any act or offense for which he or she could be prosecuted in the method partaking
of the nature of a criminal action or proceeding.

✅ Being a disorderly person.

✅ Habitual vagrancy.

✅ Incorrigibility.

✅ Immorality.

✅ Knowingly associating with thieves or vicious or immoral people.

✅ Growing up in idleness or delinquency.

✅ Knowingly visiting gambling places, or patronizing other places or establishments,
his or her admission to which constitutes a violation of law.

✅ Idly roaming the streets at night.

✅ Habitual truancy from school.

✅ Deportment endangering the morals, health, or general welfare of said child.

✅ Including any and all state statutes under Title 39 of the Motor Vehicle Act as to
violations in the operation and use of a motor vehicle but not including violations
for parking.

✅ Sale and use of narcotics or other drugs.

✅ Defacing the property of another (graffiti).

✅ Destroying any property of another.

✅ Mugging.

✅ Assaults.

✅ Assaults and battery.

✅ Loitering in groups of three or more on any public streets, highways, or alleys.

✅ Loitering or destruction or defacing of public property owned by the governments of the township, county, or state.

✅ Destruction of playground equipment and public parks.

✅ Consumption of alcoholic beverages on a public street.

✅ Drunkenness.

✅ Begging.

✅ Lack of supervision by a parent, legal guardian or other person having the care or
custody of a minor child under the age of eighteen. A "person" is defined to include
parents, guardians, or persons having custody or control of minor children.

✅ Indecent exposure.

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