Category Archives: Uncategorized

ABA Speaks Out

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

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Shadow Prisons

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

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An End to Money Bail

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/

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Shank on Criminal Justice Overhaul

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

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Repeal of Mandatory Minimums for Drug Offenders

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

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Capital Gazette – April 20

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

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Politics didn’t stop progress

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

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Justice Reinvestment Act

Justice Reinvestment Act receives bipartisan support Republican former Gov. Bob Ehrlich and former public safety and corrections secretary Stu Simms, a Democrat, are pushing for the passage of the Justice Reinvestment Act. Read the full report covered by WBAL-TV.

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Baltimore Sun

Md. public defender, prosecutor both back criminal justice reforms. By Paul DeWolfe, Scott Shellenberger We are two unlikely allies on criminal justice reform: a longtime public defender and a longtime prosecutor. Although we represent opposing sides of a criminal case, and … Continue reading

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Washington Post

“Strengthen the Justice Reinvestment Act by repealing Maryland’s mandatory sentencing laws” Maryland legislators recently took an important first step toward improved public safety by introducing the Justice Reinvestment Act. This package of common-sense reforms will reduce Maryland’s unnecessarily large prison … Continue reading

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