Minutes for General Meeting, September 25, 2017
Prince Georges County, Maryland
We convened with about 65 participants at 7 p.m. at the Laurel Boys and Girls Club meeting room after a generous potluck dinner. After a welcome by Laural Boys & Girls Club president Adrian Rosseau, our facilitator Jerry McLaurin introduced Del. Darryl Barnes.
Del. Barnes invited MAJR members to attend the annual Legislative Black Caucus public meeting this Saturday, 9/30/17. He also commented on the unfairness of Maryland’s old money-bail system. He suggested that legislators may wish to make changes to the current Rule, but he added that any major reforms may be difficult in 2018, which is an election year.
Jerry explained the format for our general meeting and introduced the chairs of our Front Door, Behind the Walls, and Back Door workgroups. His introduction was followed by 45-minute breakout sessions that gave the opportunity for more detailed discussions for those interested in each area. Chairs then reported on the priorities identified by workgroups.
Noting that he spoke as a citizen and MAJR member, not as a state judge, Phil Caroom briefly reviewed MAJR’s history and primary support for Maryland’s Justice Reinvestment Act (JRA). He also summarized the Front Door workgroup’s recommended 2018 initiatives, noting that only the first two necessarily may involve legislation: 1) re-introducing the 2017 citations bill that overwhelmingly passed in the House, but got stuck in Senate committee; 2) supporting a coalition proposal for pretrial / bail screening and supervision assistance to remedy bail problems; this may require additional financial support from the State, and we anticipate having to counter negative bills from bail bondsmen; 3) sponsoring a court Rule revision to prevent judges from issuing no-bail arrest warrants for even technical violations of probation; 4) working with other advocates and groups on pretrial diversion for individuals with mental illness; and 5) working with the Maryland States’ Attorneys’ Association and mediation offices to encourage more effective pretrial screening and mediation diversion.
Vince Greco and Steve Steurer summarized the Behind the Walls workgroup’s proposed 2018 initiatives including: 1) renewal of the 2017 bill that passed the House to remove the Governor’s veto power on parole for eligible offenders as to life sentences, joining 47 other U.S. states in this policy; 2) supporting revision to Maryland’s overuse of solitary confinement (approximately two times higher than average U.S. rate); and 3) increasing Maryland resources for prison education and vocational training, now hampered by ineffective screening and low pay for teachers. Lea Green also encouraged support for efforts to improve opportunities for inmates to relate with family members.
Jim Rose summarized Back Door workgroup proposals including: 1) support to override the Governor’s veto of a “ban-the-box on state college applications” bill ; 2) support for expanded expungement laws; and 3) expansion of “certificate of rehabilitation” statute, currently limited to effect on state licensing. He also noted that Maryland still needs specific instruction to the courts to warn defendants of the scope of possible collateral consequences of conviction.
After our breakout sessions, the chairs reported back, and the general meeting participants supported the propose initiatives. Sign-up sheets were completed by many new volunteers.
We agreed that the next MAJR general meeting will be held in Pikesville, Baltimore County, Maryland on 11/15 –at 7 pm. The location will be determined.
These minutes respectfully submitted. – P.Caroom.
