A Guide to the Justice Reinvestment Act
As an overview, JRA seeks to reduce Maryland’s prison population and use savings for more effective treatment to offenders, before, during and after incarceration to reduce further reoffending, as well as indirectly assisting victims and families. The JRA bill’s subjects include:
TAXPAYER SAVINGS / REDUCTIONS IN INCARCERATION
A) reduction of maximum incarceration for numerous nonviolent offenses, plus preference for treatment over incarceration of drug offenders (pages #35-39, 48, & 51-64);
B) presumption that technical violations of parole and probation will get prompt attention and specified brief limits to incarceration, unless more is required to protect public or a victim (pages #11-14, 29-30, 70-72) ;
C) elimination of delays in administrative parole for nonviolent offenders (pages #12-14, 22-23);
D) presumption that debilitated & incapacitated inmates may be paroled, absent Governor’s veto for those serving life sentences (pages #26-28); and
E) reduction of parole & probation supervision level for ex-offenders with good record of compliance (pages #14-17).
F) retroactive modification of mandatory sentences may be applied for, subject to court hearing, State & victim objections (pages #47-48).
EX-OFFENDERS TREATMENT / ASSISTANCE TO AVOID NEW OFFENSES
G) risk-needs assessments (RNA) identify offender’s needs / risks to reoffend as basis for individualized treatment (pages #7-10, 11-17);
H) ex-offenders rewarded for cooperation with treatment plans via earlier release, reduced supervision requirements and “certificates of rehabilitation” (pages # 10, 14-17, 19);
I) expungement after 10 years of good behavior is permitted for misdemeanors, subject to listed exceptions (pages #72-75 );
J) “up to 50%” of prison-reduction savings shall be placed in “Performance Incentive County(PIC) Grant Fund” for local programs such as victim assistance, pretrial improvements, reentry & specialty courts, substance abuse & mental health treatment, etc.; and
K) state and local boards established to oversee best distribution of grant funds (pages #81-91).
VICTIM ASSISTANCE / OTHER / FUTURE CONCERNS
L) victims will receive increased percentage of inmate earnings and more effective restitution collection is planned (pages #31 and 95);
M) victims rights to notice, participation and objection to parole & expungement are preserved (pages #14, 19, 22, 26, 29, 70, 72 and pages following);
N) violent offense maximum penalties are increased to 40 years as to kidnapping & second degree murder (page #34); and
O) future recommendations planned for treatment gaps, mediation in criminal matters, sentencing guidelines for alternatives to incarceration, and reimbursement for local correction centers. ( pages #93–96)
