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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

(Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Advance Media)

TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie announced on Wednesday he wants to sign a bill into law before leaving office that would give former prison inmates a better opportunity at finding a job.

The governor said he plans to work with Democratic lawmakers on reforms for expunging criminal convictions. Christie called for a bill to be sent to his desk before the Legislature breaks for the summer, and before voters elect a new governor in November.

"I am open to doing this," Christie said. "Let's get this done between now and June 30th."

Christie made the announcement during a 45-minute speech at an event that aimed at encouraging New Jersey businesses to assist ex-offenders, some of whom have had drug problems in the past, to find jobs after their release.

The Employee Opportunity Summit event was part of Christie's January State of the State address pledge to dedicate his last year in office to tackling the "crisis of drug addiction."

The governor said he planned to work with state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson), who attended the summit, on the conviction expungement legislation.

"Sen. Cunningham and I have been friends for 15 years. We trust each other," Christie said.

"Expungement has to be an option to ... those who earned it and deserve it," he said. "We have some negotiations to do in terms of the process of how it would work and who would be eligible for it. But I really do believe it's something we can get done."

Currently, serious felonies can't be expunged and the state, among other things, limits people who have their records cleared to only one expungement. Also, New Jersey requires offenders to wait between five and 10 years from the completion of probation before seeking expungement.

Advocates for reform want to expand the scope of crimes that can be expunged and shorten the waiting periods to three or five years.

They say that without the changes, former inmates face massive hurdles once they reenter society.

Christie described the expungement proposal as an extension of "ban the box" legislation he signed into law in 2014. The measure requires companies to wait until they have interviewed job applicants before asking if he or she has ever been convicted of a crime.

Ban the box refers to the area on a job application form that asks about someone's criminal record history.

That legislation, which was part of a two-year legislative journey for its advocates, was signed into law at the same time Christie approved a proposal that established an alternative pre-trial release system so that poor defendants aren't stuck in jail because they can't afford bail.

"It gave Republicans and Democrats a sense of comfort that we were doing something that was protective of our society but also opening of opportunities," Christie said of the measures on Wednesday. "We need to do more."

Cunningham described herself as a willing partner with the governor on criminal record expungement reform.

"A lot needs to be done," she said. "I'm very happy he talked about it."

Former Gov. James E. McGreevey, chairman of New Jersey Reentry Corporation, said expungement reform is needed to get former inmates long-term employment, which, he argued, is essential for rehabilitation.

"You have the scarlet 'F,'" McGreevey said, "For felony."

McGreevey and others plan to push for adding the scope of felonies that can be expunged, expanding eligibility for expungement for more than one felony crime and putting in place a "more rational" waiting period.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook.