Explore Bills

Altering the required specifications for a certain prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals; requiring the Department of General Services to submit a certain timeline of deliverables for the planning, design, and construction of the facility to certain entities; requiring the Commissioner of Correction to make certain services available to certain female incarcerated individuals; and requiring the Department of General Services to provide updates on the progress of the prerelease facility to certain legislative committees.

Providing that an incarcerated individual who is serving a certain sentence for a certain sexual crime may be considered for parole only one time after becoming eligible; providing that if a victim, victim's family, victims' advocacy organization, or victim's representative objects to the granting of parole to a certain individual, parole shall be denied permanently; etc.

Requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in consultation with the Department of Labor to develop an Incarcerated Individual Apprenticeship Pilot Program to provide incarcerated individuals at the Baltimore City Correctional Center the opportunity to serve as paid apprentices in an agency or a unit of State or local government or with a private entity; and requiring the Department to report to the General Assembly by January 1, 2029, on the implementation of the Program.

Authorizing the establishment of a medication review committee within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services that convenes to determine whether to approve the administration of psychotropic medication to a certain incarcerated individual under certain circumstances; providing that psychotropic medication may not be administered to an incarcerated individual who refuses the medication except under certain circumstances; etc.

Altering the appointing authority and method of appointment of parole commissioners; requiring a new commissioner to be appointed within 90 days after a vacancy; prohibiting a hearing examiner appointed under certain authority from serving for more than 90 days; altering certain requirements for hearing examiners; requiring a vote of the majority of commissioners appointed to the Maryland Parole Commission, instead of a minimum number of 6 commissioners, to approve a certain incarcerated individual for parole; etc.

Transferring the monitoring and security of the home detention programs of the Division of Correction to the Warrant Apprehension Unit of the Intelligence and Investigative Division within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Establishing the Volunteer Services Program in the Division of Correction for the purpose of providing access to volunteers, including formerly incarcerated individuals and organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals, to State correctional facilities to assist incarcerated individuals with release preparation; and requiring the Division of Correction to establish a protocol for registering volunteers in the Program to have access to State correctional facilities and to maintain a list of the volunteers.

Providing that certain provisions about identification documents apply only to certain incarcerated individuals; requiring the Commissioner of Correction to determine whether an incarcerated individual is in possession of certain documentation on taking custody of the individual; providing that a managing official of a State correctional facility is responsible for the safekeeping and care of certain identification documents in the possession of an individual at the time of intake; etc.

Requiring an incarcerated individual to undergo an assessment for indicators of a developmental or intellectual disability at intake at a State correctional facility by a certain clinical professional; authorizing a certain clinical professional to make a recommendation about a certain incarcerated individual; and prohibiting a State correctional facility from putting a certain incarcerated individual in restrictive housing for more than 15 consecutive days in a 30-day time period unless the individual commits a certain prohibited act.

Authorizing the establishment of a medication review committee within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services that convenes to determine whether to approve the administration of psychotropic medication to a certain incarcerated individual under certain circumstances; providing that psychotropic medication may not be administered to an incarcerated individual who refuses the medication except under certain circumstances; etc.

Transferring the monitoring and security of the home detention programs of the Division of Correction to the Warrant Apprehension Unit of the Intelligence and Investigative Division within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Establishing the Volunteer Services Program in the Division of Correction for the purpose of providing access to volunteers, including formerly incarcerated individuals to State correctional facilities to assist incarcerated individuals and organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals, to State correctional facilities to assist incarcerated individuals with release preparation.

Authorizing an applicable clinical professional to assess, at the time of intake at a State correctional facility, a newly incarcerated individual for a developmental or intellectual disability; authorizing a certain clinical professional to make a certain recommendation about a certain incarcerated individual; prohibiting a State correctional facility from putting a certain incarcerated individual in restrictive housing for more than 15 consecutive days in a 30-day period unless the individual commits a certain prohibited act; etc.

Establishing the Adult Prison School Board Model Development Committee to develop a comprehensive plan for a school board system to oversee correctional education for individuals subject to the criminal and juvenile justice systems; and requiring the Committee to issue an interim report by June 1, 2027, and a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by June 1, 2028.

Requiring the annual report of the Maryland Parole Commission to include certain information; altering a certain provision of law to require the Commission to provide certain documents to an incarcerated individual and the incarcerated individual's representative at a certain time; requiring the Commission to document, state on the record, provide to an incarcerated individual, and make available to the public certain information; applying the Act retroactively; etc.

Prohibiting the earning of diminution credits to reduce the term of confinement of an incarcerated individual who is serving a sentence for murder in the first degree in a State or local correctional facility.

Requiring the Commissioner of Correction or the Commissioner's designee to remove an incarcerated individual from home detention for violating a condition of the incarcerated individual's placement in home detention.

Establishing the Task Force to Study Forced Infant Separation From Incarcerated Individuals to study and make recommendations regarding methods to reduce forced infant separation in the State and facilitate bonds between postpartum incarcerated individuals and their children; and requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2027.

Requiring the Director of Education and Workforce Skills Training for Correctional Institutions to consult with the State Correctional Ombudsman about the operation of education and workforce skills training programs in adult correctional institutions; establishing the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Training Program for Incarcerated Individuals in the Maryland Department of Labor; and authorizing the Governor in fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter to provide sufficient funding for the program in the annual budget bill.

Modifying certain reporting requirements, boards, and commissions for practicability and efficiency; repealing certain reporting requirements that are unnecessary, obsolete, or duplicative; repealing as obsolete the Renewable Fuels Incentive Board, Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board, Two-Generation Family Economic Security Commission, and Commission on Trauma-Informed Care; repealing as unnecessary the Partnership for Workforce Quality Advisory Board; etc.

Prohibiting a person from operating an immigration detention facility at a building, structure, or facility that was not originally designed and constructed for the purpose of housing or detaining individuals.

Altering the required specifications for a certain prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals; requiring the Department of General Services to direct the procurement processes for the construction of a certain prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals; requiring the Commissioner of Correction to make gender-responsive services available to certain female incarcerated individuals; requiring the implementation of comprehensive prerelease services for certain individuals by September 1, 2026; etc.

Requiring the Patuxent Institution and each State and local correctional facility to maintain records on instances of items damaged or destroyed due to visible leakage of menstrual discharge under certain circumstances; prohibiting the Patuxent Institution and each State and local correctional facility from subjecting female incarcerated individuals to disciplinary measures for items damaged or destroyed without malicious intent due to visible leakage of menstrual discharge; etc.

Altering the required specifications for a certain prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals; requiring the Department of General Services to direct the procurement processes for the construction of a certain prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals; requiring the Commissioner of Correction to make certain services available to certain female incarcerated individuals; requiring the implementation of comprehensive prerelease services for certain individuals by September 1, 2026; etc.

Repealing the requirements that the Baltimore City centralized booking facility provide a ballot drop box to eligible voters; repealing the requirement that each local board of elections designate locations in the county at which ballot drop boxes will be placed; repealing provisions of law governing permanent absentee ballot status; repealing the authority to conduct special elections by mail; etc.

Requiring the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services to adopt regulations establishing certain minimum mandatory standards governing the care, custody, and conditions of civil detainees in immigration detention facilities; altering certain duties of and prohibitions on the actions of the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards relating to correctional immigration detention facilities; requiring certain violations and security breaches be reported to the Commission or the Office of the Inspector General; etc.

Prohibiting the State or a unit of local government from approving the construction or operation of a building, structure, or other real property for use as a detention facility by a private entity; establishing that a building, structure, or other real property is considered proposed for use as a detention facility, regardless of how the use is descried in an application or permit request under certain circumstances; establishing a certain penalty; authorizing the Attorney General to bring a civil action to enforce the Act; etc.

Altering the requirements of the Task Force on the Creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and Expanded Reentry Services to include studying programs and services to prevent recidivism by individuals in the State after release from incarceration; and extending the deadline for the reporting requirement for the Task Force to December 31, 2026.

Prohibiting local correctional facilities from taking certain actions related to immigration enforcement, subject to certain exceptions; prohibiting law enforcement agents from taking certain actions related to immigration enforcement, subject to certain exceptions; prohibiting State and local correctional facilities from taking certain actions against an individual based on a certain immigration status of the individual or any other person; requiring employees and agents of State correctional facilities to provide certain notice; etc.

Requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, in collaboration with an institution of higher education in the State, to prepare a report on correctional industry programs in certain states and recommend ways to improve Maryland Correctional Enterprises to achieve successful reentry outcomes; and requiring the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2027.

Altering the appointing authority and method of appointment of parole commissioners by repealing certain authority of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services and requiring the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint members of the Maryland Parole Commission from nominees chosen by a certain panel; and requiring the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to provide staffing for the panel.

Requiring the annual report of the Maryland Parole Commission to contain certain information; altering a certain provision of law to require the Commission to provide certain documents to an incarcerated individual and the incarcerated individual's representative at a certain time, rather than allow the incarcerated individual to examine the documents on request; requiring the Commission to document, state on the record, provide to an incarcerated individual, and make available to the public certain information; etc.

Altering a certain definition of restrictive housing; limiting the amount of time that an individual may be placed in restrictive housing; requiring all restrictive housing units to create the least restrictive environment necessary for certain purposes; prohibiting the placement of a certain member of a vulnerable population in restrictive housing for any period of time; requiring a certain individual in restrictive housing to be offered a certain amount of time outside the individual's cell each day; etc.

Establishing the Reentry Readiness Program in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; and requiring the Department to work jointly with the Motor Vehicle Administration, the Division of Vital Records in the Maryland Department of Health, and the Department of Labor to staff and administer the Program.

Altering a certain definition of restrictive housing; limiting the amount of time that an individual may be placed in restrictive housing; requiring all restrictive housing units to create the least restrictive environment necessary for certain purposes; prohibiting the placement of a certain member of a vulnerable population in restrictive housing for any period of time; requiring a certain individual in restrictive housing to be offered a certain amount of time outside the individual's cell each day; etc.

Requiring the Special Secretary of Overdose Response to provide funding to counties for medication-assisted treatment programs; requiring certain counties to submit a certain report; authorizing the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation for the purpose of providing funds under certain circumstances; expanding the authorized uses for the Opioid Restitution Fund; etc.

Requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to assist incarcerated individuals in accessing certain student financial assistance; and requiring incarcerated individuals who meet eligibility criteria for certain student financial assistance to have access to student financial assistance.

Establishing the Prison Education Delivery Reform Commission as an independent unit of State government; and requiring the Commission, by January 1 each year, to submit a report of the Commission's activities, findings, and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Establishing the Task Force to Study Postrelease Services and Requirements; and requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before July 1, 2027.

Prohibiting employees and agents of State and local correctional facilities from taking certain actions related to immigration enforcement, subject to certain exceptions; and prohibiting law enforcement agents from taking certain actions related to immigration enforcement, subject to certain exceptions.

Requiring the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services to adopt regulations establishing certain minimum mandatory standards governing the care, custody, and conditions of civil detainees in immigration detention facilities; altering certain duties of and prohibitions on the actions of the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards relating to correctional facilities and immigration detention facilities; etc.

Prohibiting the State or a unit of local government from approving the use of a building, a structure, or other real property for use as a detention facility by a private entity; establishing a certain penalty for a certain violation; and authorizing the Attorney General to bring a civil action to enforce the Act.

Prohibiting certain governmental entities or a company acting under a contract with certain governmental entities from entering into agreements facilitating, paying for costs related to, receiving any payment related to, or otherwise giving financial incentive to a private entity in relation to detention by private entities, and from approving zoning variances or permits for the use of buildings by a private entity as a detention facility.