Author Archives: Jim

Governor Larry Hogan and Ben Jealous agreed to participate in only a single, hour-long televised debate on September 24th. But you will have this and other opportunities to find out where they stand on issues which have been important to you and the … Continue reading →

Shrinking Prisons, Growing Opportunities Governor Larry Hogan and officials of the union for correctional officers (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) have both said it: correctional officer vacancies in Maryland prisons are rising.  At the same time, … Continue reading →

Find out what’s wrong with Maryland’s Pretrial Justice System – and how to fix it Maryland’s General Assembly convenes 1/11/17 and with voters’ support could make a difference. Find out how about proposed changes and what you can do. Find … Continue reading →

News Brief: Excessive Bail ABA President Linda A. Klein urged the Maryland Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure to amend state court rules to reduce the use of excessive bail in pretrial detention, which often leads to continued … Continue reading →

New Southern Poverty Law Center report, Shadow Prisons Immigrant Detention in the South,  uncovers abuse and neglect at immigrant detention centers in the South. This report shows that immigrant detention centers in the South fail to ensure the rights and safety … Continue reading →

The Movement for Black Lives calls for an End To Money Bail, Mandatory Fines, Fees, Court Surcharges, and “Defendant Funded” Court Proceedings. See their post at: https://m4bl.org/end-the-war-on-black-people/

Criminal justice overhaul will lead to better outcomes in Md. By Christopher B. Shank Jul 19, 2016 Being tough on crime is no longer about locking offenders up and throwing away the key. It’s about smarter, better options that reduce … Continue reading →

How Maryland came to repeal mandatory minimums for drug offenders – The Washington Post About 1,600 prisoners serving long sentences in Maryland will become eligible for early release in October 2017, just as the state does away with mandatory minimum … Continue reading →

Justice Reinvestment Act is a milestone “Partisanship usually hogs the headlines, but the most important action of the 2016 General Assembly session — one that will affect the state’s criminal justice system for years, and probably for decades — had … Continue reading →

The Baltimore Sun had the following article on April 12, 2016: Criminal justice “During the last year, lawmakers from both parties, the Hogan administration, Attorney General Brian Frosh, members of the judiciary and others worked with researchers from the Pew … Continue reading →