The Juvenile Restoration Act (JRA) is a law in Maryland allowing minors who were sentenced as adults to ask a judge to consider a reducing their sentence after they have served 20 years in prison.[1] The law also prevents juveniles from being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, making Maryland the 25th U.S. state to ban life sentences for juveniles.[2]
| Juvenile Restoration Act | |
|---|---|
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| Maryland State Legislature | |
| Full name | Juveniles Convicted as Adults - Sentencing - Limitations and Reduction (Juvenile Restoration Act) |
| Introduced | January 20, 2021 |
| House voted | March 30, 2021 (88-48) |
| Senate voted | April 2, 2021 (32-15) |
| Sponsor(s) | |
| Governor | Larry Hogan |
| Code | Criminal Procedure |
| Section | § 6-235 and § 8-110 |
| Bill | SB 0494 |
| Associated bills | HB0409 |
| Website | Legislation |
Status: Current legislation | |
Legislative history
editThe JRA was sponsored by Delegate Jazz Lewis and Senator Christopher R. West and introduced on January 20, 2021.[3] The Maryland House of Delegates voted on March 30, 2021, approving the bill with a vote of 88–48. The Maryland Senate voted to approve the bill, 32–15, on April 2, 2021. Governor Larry Hogan vetoed the bill on April 8, 2021.[4][5] On April 10, 2021, the Maryland General Assembly overrode Governor Hogan's veto, passing the bill.[2]
Impact
editUnder the JRA, 415 people became eligible for sentencing review.[2] Shortly after the passage of the law, the Maryland Office of the Public Defender created the Decarceration Initiative, which coordinated representation for indigent clients eligible for sentencing review.[6] The law went into effect on October 1, 2021.[6] During the law's first year in effect, thirty-six motions for sentence reduction were decided, resulting in a shorter sentence in twenty-seven cases.[6] In twenty-three of these cases individuals were granted immediate release.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Collins, David (March 29, 2021). "Bill would allow minors to seek reduction of sentence after serving 20 years". WBAL-TV. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Rubino, Natalie (April 12, 2021). "Maryland bans life sentences for juvenile offenders". Fox 5. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Gaskill, Hannah (March 1, 2021). "Juvenile Restoration Act Pushes for Resentencing for Youthful Offenders". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Hogan, Larry. "SB494 Juvenile Restoration Act Veto Letter" (PDF). State of Maryland Office of the Governor. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Gaines, Danielle E. (April 8, 2021). "Hogan Vetoes Juvenile Restoration Act, Prevailing Wage Measure". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Juvenile Restoration Act Secures the Freedom of 23 Individuals in the First Year of its Implementation". Southern Maryland Chronicle. October 17, 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.