Juvenile Restoration Act
Maryland State Legislature
Full nameJuveniles Convicted as Adults - Sentencing - Limitations and Reduction (Juvenile Restoration Act)
IntroducedJanuary 20, 2021
House votedMarch 30, 2021 (88-48)
Senate votedApril 2, 2021 (32-15)
Sponsor(s)
GovernorLarry Hogan
CodeCriminal Procedure
Section§ 6-235 and § 8-110
BillSB 0494
Associated billsHB0409
WebsiteLegislation
Status: Current legislation

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]

Legislative history

The JRA was sponsored by Senators Jazz Lewis and 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

Under 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

References

  1. ↑ Collins, David (March 29, 2021). "Bill would allow minors to seek reduction of sentence after serving 20 years". WBAL-TV. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Rubino, Natalie (April 12, 2021). "Maryland bans life sentences for juvenile offenders". Fox 5. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. ↑ Gaskill, Hannah (March 1, 2021). "Juvenile Restoration Act Pushes for Resentencing for Youthful Offenders". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Hogan, Larry. "SB494 Juvenile Restoration Act Veto Letter" (PDF). State of Maryland Office of the Governor. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  5. ↑ Gaines, Danielle E. (April 8, 2021). "Hogan Vetoes Juvenile Restoration Act, Prevailing Wage Measure". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "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.
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