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Maryland lawmakers are considering a big change that could help people serving long prison sentences get a fresh start. The proposed bill, House Bill 724 also called the Second Chance Act would allow some inmates to apply for a sentence reduction, CBS Baltimore reports. 

If passed, inmates who have served at least 20 years could ask the court to reconsider their sentence every three years. Judges would take factors like their age at the time of the crime, behavior in prison, participation in educational programs, and potential public safety risks into account.

Another proposal, the Maryland Clean Slate Act, would automatically clear marijuana possession records and cases that are at least three years old. It would also allow certain misdemeanor charges to be expunged after seven years.

However, crimes related to domestic violence and second-degree assault wouldn’t be eligible. If the bill becomes law, eligible court records would be removed from public view starting in August 2027—though physical records wouldn’t need to be destroyed.

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Maryland has already taken steps toward reform. In July 2023, when recreational marijuana became legal, Gov. Wes Moore pardoned over 175,000 convictions for cannabis and drug paraphernalia possession.

Additionally, the Juvenile Restoration Act allows people sentenced as minors to request a sentence reduction after serving 20 years. This law passed in 2024, also bans life sentences without parole for minors.

A 2024 report from the Second Look Movement found that about a third of people serving life sentences are over 55 more than 60,000 people. The report argues that long sentences don’t necessarily prevent crime and that many people naturally move away from criminal behavior as they age.

In December 2023, the Maryland Equitable Justice Commission recommended measures to reduce mass incarceration and address racial disparities in the justice system. Their suggestions include expanding second-chance laws, preventing kids from being automatically tried as adults, and allowing more elderly or seriously ill prisoners to be considered for parole.

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Maryland Might Give Some Long-Term Inmates A Second Chance  was originally published on rone92q.staging.go.ione.nyc