Criminal Justice Reform Would Save Maryland Money

Maryland lawmakers will have the opportunity this legislative session to adopt a set of policies that would make the criminal justice system more effective, save the state significant money, and boost the economy.

Recommendations that Maryland’s Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council (JRCC) will make to Governor Hogan and the General Assembly at the end of this month could save the state $247 million over the next 10 years by reducing the prison population by almost 20 percent (4,000 people), according to estimates from researchers at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

These savings could then be reinvested into substance abuse treatment, mental health care, workforce training, and other effective strategies proven to  keep people from returning to prison. This would be a great next step, building on the state’s adoption of the Second Chance Act earlier this year that removed a significant barrier to employment for thousands of Marylanders.

JRCC’s report will lay the foundation for sweeping criminal justice reform legislation the General Assembly will debate when it convenes in January. This council has worked since June to develop consensus recommendations for reducing the state’s prison population, controlling spending on incarceration, and reinvesting those savings into more effective strategies.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the council is likely to recommend:

• Making parole for nonviolent offenders automatic in most cases when they reach their release eligibility dates as long as they have followed prison rules and complied with a pre-release plan.
• Allowing non-violent drug offenders to earn credits toward sentence reduction on the same basis as other non-violent offenders.
• Expanding access to parole for prisoners over age 60, with the exception of sex offenders and those sentenced to life without parole.
• Adopting a system of gradually increasing sanctions for offenders who commit “technical” violations of the terms of parole or probation, instead of automatically sending them back to jail
• Eliminating jail for first-time offenses of driving without a license or on a suspended license.

The traditional approach of high-volume incarceration has resulted in unsustainably high costs that have exacerbated social and economic inequalities. A more common-sense approach to public safety would drastically improve the quality of life for thousands of families in our state and help grow our economy, while more effectively deterring crime.