In Annapolis, lawmakers take a hard look at crime and punishment
by Michael Dresser
“Over the past decade, Maryland has been sentencing even nonviolent offenders to longer and longer prison terms — at greater and greater public expense. Now, Annapolis lawmakers from across the political spectrum are taking a hard look at whether that makes sense.
“At the behest of top General Assembly Democrats and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, senators and delegates have been meeting since June with police, prosecutors, judges, public defenders and others to examine the state’s criminal justice policies. The group is charged with recommending ways to reduce incarceration in Maryland, where the state is spending $768 million this year to keep about 21,000 people in prison.
“It is an unprecedented opportunity to do a deep dive and look holistically into our criminal justice system,” said Christopher B. Shank, Hogan’s top adviser on crime and chairman of the group, the Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council.
Read the full article on the Baltimore Sun site.
