Fifty-five New Jersey residents were granted a second chance Tuesday, as Gov. Phil Murphy announced 19 commutations and 36 pardons, the latest in his administration’s clemency initiative.
Among them was Antoine Nelson, an Elizabeth native whose path from incarceration to mentorship and community leadership was highlighted during the event.
“I grew up in an environment where we had, like, a survival-mode type of attitude,” Nelson said. “And then I kind of did things that the environment around me, the people around me, the influences around me, that led me to incarceration.”…