Maryland legislature approves Second Look Act, sends it to governor

Maryland prisoners poised to get ‘second look’ on long sentences

Legislation giving people serving prison sentences of at least 20 years for crimes they committed when they were between 18 and 25 a chance to reduce those terms is headed to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk after an emotional debate.

Maryland legislature approves Second Look Act, sends it to governor

Just hours after the Senate approved the Second Look Act, the House on Thursday quickly accepted Senate amendments to the bill that gives a second chance to long-serving incarcerated individuals and sent the measure to the governor for his signature. It capped months of emotional, and often personal, debate on House Bill 853, which critics said would bring needless new suffering to victims of crime, but supporters said would provide a deserved s…

Maryland's Second Look Act would give some inmates shorter prison sentences

Some people incarcerated in Maryland’s prisons may have a chance to have their sentences reduced through a bill being considered now. The Second Look Act would allow younger offenders who have served at least 20 years in prison to ask to judge to release them. The bill has sparked heated debate in Annapolis. “Second Look is not a get-out-of-jail free card. It is an assessment of the merit of the petition,” one person said in testimony. “To me, i…

Maryland Senate passes Second Look Act

A bill to allow select incarcerated individuals serving lengthy prison sentences to have early release hearings before a judge is inching closer to passage in the General Assembly, which adjourns in five days. The Maryland Second Look Act passed out of the Senate 31-16 on Thursday and now heads back for a floor vote in the House, where lawmakers will consider an amendment that would exclude offenders convicted of killing first responders from co…

Maryland Senate passes bill to allow reviews of long prison sentences

The Maryland Senate approved a bill Thursday that would allow sentence reviews for some people convicted of serious crimes when they were young, but Republicans who objected to the legislation also added an amendment making those convicted of killing a first responder ineligible.

Senate amends Second Look Act to make it unavailable to those who kill a first responder - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

By the narrowest of margins Wednesday, the Senate voted to amend the Second Look Act, which gives long-term incarcerated individuals a second chance at life, to make it unavailable to those convicted of killing a first responder.Eleven Senate Democrats joined all 13 Republicans to pass the amendment 24-23, before giving preliminary approval to the bill. The amendment means that if House Bill 853 wins final approval in the Senate it would have to…