HB 297

Office of the Correctional Ombudsman - Establishment and Funding

Sponsor: Debra Davis (District 28)Committee: JudiciarySubject: State Government - Agencies, Offices, and OfficialsStatus: Rereferred to Judicial Proceedings (as of Nov 13, 2024)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing the Office of the Correctional Ombudsman; authorizing the Justice Reinvestment Oversight Board to make a recommendation for the distribution of money from the Performance Incentive Grant Fund to the Office; requiring the Office to conduct investigations, reviews, and assessments of administrative acts taken by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, by the Department of Juvenile Services, or in relation to individuals confined by either department; providing for the confidentiality of certain communications; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (57)

MGA witness list

FAV 51FavorableFWA 5Favorable with amendmentsINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Brown, Gregorylobbyist	ACLU of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kloiber, Alexis	American University Washington College of Law Decarceration and Reentry Clinic	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Johnson, Carmenlobbyist	Court Watch - PG	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gestiehr, Madison	Decarceration and Re-entry Clinic	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Position only
FAV	HAZELTON, MARTINA	FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK	Written (PDF)
FAV	Pruitt, Lauren	FreeState Justice	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Miller, Brandon	Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law	Written (PDF)
FAV	(Baltimore Quakers), Homewood Friends Meeting	Homewood Friends Meeting	Written (PDF)
FAV	Reindorp, Rabbi Sholom	Jewish Incarcerated Family Services	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Braveheart, T. Shekhinahlobbyist	Justice PoIicy Institute	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkins, Jheanelle	Legislative Black Caucus	Written (PDF)
FAV	Agarin, Ufuoma	Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	WIEST, ANITA	MAJR	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Davis, Debra	MGA	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kouadio, Michele	Maryland Alliance for Criminal Justice Reform	Oral
FAV	Caroom, Philip	Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Lichtenberg, Judith	Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform	Written (PDF)
FAV	Moyd, Esquire, Olinda	Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kelter, Chris	Maryland Centers for Independent Living	Position only
FAV	Browning, Jeremy	Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hilliard, Elizabeth	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Written (PDF)
FAV	McKinley, Sarah	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Written (PDF)
FAV	Barry, Margaret	Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Schuster, Terry	New Jersey Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson	Written (PDF)
FAV	Khalfani, Natasha	Office of the Public Defender Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lotridge, Keith	Office of the Public Defender,	Oral
FAV	Kirsch, Anne	PREPARE	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stafford, Larry	Progressive Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Ciekot, Annlobbyist	Public Policy Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Blinder , Lee	Trans Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Clark, Karen	UULM-MD	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Gallagher, E. Flannery	University of Baltimore Law School, Center for Criminal Justice Reform	Written (PDF)
FAV	Warnken, Heather	University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Pittman, Nicolas	Youth, Education & Justice Clinic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Towne, Ezra	self	Written (PDF)
FAV	Asin, Steven	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bovello, Donald	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bur, Sarah	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Davis, Delegate Davislegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Finch, Molly	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gardner, Rebecca	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hamilton, Willie	Individual	Oral
FAV	Hollywood, Nicole	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kashatus, Hope	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	McAfee, Rebecca	Individual	Oral
FAV	Pack, Jr., Gordon	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rothstein, Melissa	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tsiongas, Magdalena	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	trusty, celestelobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Barber, Claudia	Claudia Barber, Attorney at Law	Written (PDF)
FWA	Holcomb, Emma	Disability Rights Maryland	Written (PDF)
FWA	Brown, Anthony	Office of the Attorney General	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Burton, Evelyn	Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Moran, Mary	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
INFO	Kahl, Catherine	DPSCS	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

ACLU of MarylandFAV 1

American University Washington College of Law Decarceration and Reentry ClinicFAV 1

Claudia Barber, Attorney at LawFWA 1

Court Watch - PGFAV 1

Decarceration and Re-entry ClinicFAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

Disability Rights MarylandFWA 1

DPSCSINFO 1

FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORKFAV 1

FreeState JusticeFAV 1

Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the LawFAV 1

Homewood Friends MeetingFAV 1

Jewish Incarcerated Family ServicesFAV 1

Justice PoIicy InstituteFAV 1

Legislative Black CaucusFAV 1

Legislative Black Caucus of MarylandFAV 1

MAJRFAV 1

Maryland Alliance for Criminal Justice ReformFAV 1

Maryland Alliance for Justice ReformFAV 3

Maryland Centers for Independent LivingFAV 1

Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ AffairsFAV 1

Maryland Office of the Public DefenderFAV 2

MGAFAV 1

Montgomery County Women's Democratic ClubFAV 1

New Jersey Office of the Corrections OmbudspersonFAV 1

Office of the Attorney GeneralFWA 1

Office of the Public Defender MarylandFAV 1

Office of the Public Defender,FAV 1

PREPAREFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Public Policy PartnersFAV 1

Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action AllianceFWA 1

selfFAV 1

Trans MarylandFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

University of Baltimore Law School, Center for Criminal Justice ReformFAV 1

University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice ReformFAV 1

UULM-MDFAV 1

Youth, Education & Justice ClinicFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVBrown, GregoryACLU of MarylandRegistered for: American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland; ACLU of Maryland

FAVJohnson, CarmenCourt Watch - PGRegistered for: Helping Ourselves to Transform

FAVBraveheart, T. ShekhinahJustice PoIicy InstituteRegistered for: Justice Policy Institute

FAVCiekot, AnnPublic Policy PartnersRegistered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; B'More Clubhouse; Baltimore City Substance Abuse Directorate; Bard College; CareForth; Children's Advocacy Institute…

FAVtrusty, celesteRegistered for: Families Against Mandatory Minimums