Crime victims and victim advocates want Maryland’s governor to veto the Second Look Act, which would allow some convicted offenders to get out of prison if they can prove they've been rehabilitated.
Maryland lawmakers passed the legislation last session, but opponents say it will make Maryland less safe.
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WATCH HEREDemonstrators stood outside the statehouse in Annapolis Tuesday holding photos of people who've been murdered in Maryland. They say it's unfair to victims and their families to allow violent offenders to be released. They fear those who are let go could reoffend.
“We are going to beg Gov. [Wes] Moore to do right thing, to listen to the voices of the victims and not the perpetrators,” said Kurt Wolfgang of Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center.
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SIGN UP Victim advocates argue there is already a parole process in place for inmates to earn and seek release.
“The parole commission, not the courts, has the appropriate tools to assess someone's readiness for release,” said Roberta Roper, whose daughter was murdered in 1982.
While critics have called Second Look a get-out-of-jail-free card, supporters argue it gives those serving time the ability to argue they’ve been rehabilitated and are no longer a danger to society.
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They must have been 18-25 years old at the time of the offense and served at least 20 years.
Supporters also point to racial disparities in the state's prison population. According to corrections, African Americans make up 29% of the state's population but account for 72% of the prison population.
Those not eligible for the sentence reduction include inmates sentenced to life without parole, sex offenders and those convicted of killing a first responder in the line of duty.
Moore has not said if he will sign the bill. His office released a statement saying, “As Governor Moore reviews the hundreds of bills put forward this session, he will continue to work with the State Legislature, local leaders, and all partners involved to ensure that we are signing legislation into law that will make Maryland safer, more affordable, more competitive, and the state that serves.”
