HB 853

Enacted

Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)

Sponsor: Cheryl E. Pasteur (District 11A)Committee: JudiciarySubject: Criminal Law - ProceduresStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 96 (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Authorizing a certain individual to file a motion to reduce the duration of a certain sentence if the individual was convicted between the ages of at least 18 and under 25, was not sentenced to life, is not a sex offender, has served at least 20 years of the term of confinement, and was not convicted of murder involving a victim who was a first responder who was killed in the line of duty; applying procedures for a proceeding under the Act; 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 (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 94FavorableFWA 29Favorable with amendmentsUNF 41UnfavorableINFO 4Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Williams, Lailah	Black Girls Vote	Written (PDF)
FAV	Adams, Charles	Bowie State University's Prison Education Program	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tilghman, Marlon	Bridge Maryland, Inc	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Dews, Christopherlobbyist	Cornerstone Government Affairs	Position only
FAV	Peters, Terrell	DC Justice Lab	Written (PDF)
FAV	Woodland, Kyra	Decarceration Clinic University of Maryland School of Law	Written (PDF)
FAV	OShea, Anna	Decarceration Initiative Clinic, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alston, Curtis	F.R.E.S.H	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	HAZELTON, MARTINA	FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK	Written (PDF)
FAV	HAZELTON, MARTINA	FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hamer, Lisa	Fair and Just Prosecution	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Taylor, Ronnie	FreeState Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Miller, Brandon	Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law	Written (PDF)
FAV	Duncan, Ann	Goucher Prison Education Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Randles III, James	Goucher Prison Education Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Moore, DaMarqus	Helping Ourselves To Transform	Written (PDF)
FAV	Serpick, Evan	Jews United for Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Braveheart, T. Shekhinahlobbyist	Justice PoIicy Institute	Written (PDF)
FAV	Braveheart, T. Shekhinahlobbyist	Justice PoIicy Institute	Written (PDF)
FAV	Burner, Troy	Justice Policy Institute	Oral
FAV	Boddie-Willis, Cynthia	League of Women Voters of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkins, Jheanelle	Legislative Black Caucus of MD Inc	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mitchell, William	MD Second Look Coalition	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kouadio, Michele	Maryland Alliance for Criminal Justice Reform	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kouadio, Michele	Maryland Alliance for Criminal Justice Reform	Oral
FAV	Caroom, Philip	Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform	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	Zelaya, Michellelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zelaya, Michellelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Haskins, Deborah	Maryland Council on Problem Gambling	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Levi, Gwendolyn	Maryland Justice Project	Oral
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muhammad, Anthony	Maryland Parole Partnership / ACLU of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Askew, Qamryn	Maryland Youth Advisory Council / Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rubenstein, Cynthia	Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Saccenti, Brian	Office of the Public Defender	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Saccenti, Brian	Office of the Public Defender	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Taylor, Vanita	Office of the Public Defender	Oral
FAV	DeVaughn, Ashley	Out for Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Speaks, Terry	Out for Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Braveboy, Aisha	Prince George's County State's Attorney	Oral
FAV	Puentes, Ericalobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stand, Kurt	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Melvin, Robertlobbyist	R Street Institute	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Melvin, Robertlobbyist	R Street Institute	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Perry, Desmond	RECTIFY	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Blake, Sharon	Restore Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cano, Christopherlobbyist	SEIU Local 500	Written (PDF)
FAV	Elaine, Arndt	SELF	Position only
FAV	DORSEY, JOAN	Second Look Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Thomas, Katherine	Second Look Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muhammad, Craig	Second Look Network	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hill, Willie Mae	Second look Act	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	SWASC, UM	Social Work Advocates for Social Change	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 168

Organizations on record

Baltimore County State's Attorney's OfficeUNF 2

Black Girls VoteFAV 1

Bowie State University's Prison Education ProgramFAV 1

Bridge Maryland, IncFAV 1

Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of YouthFWA 1

Cornerstone Government AffairsFAV 1

DC Justice LabFAV 1

Decarceration Clinic University of Maryland School of LawFAV 1

Decarceration Initiative Clinic, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of LawFAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 2

Drop LWOP New EnglandFWA 1

F.R.E.S.HFAV 1

Fair and Just ProsecutionFAV 1

Family Support NetworkFWA 1

FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORKFAV 2FWA 1

FreeState JusticeFAV 1

Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the LawFAV 1FWA 1

Goucher Prison Education PartnershipFAV 2FWA 1

Helping Ourselves to TransformFWA 1

Helping Ourselves To TransformFAV 1

Jews United for JusticeFAV 1

Justice PoIicy InstituteFAV 2

Justice Policy InstituteFAV 1

League of Women Voters Calvert CountyUNF 2

League of Women Voters of MarylandFAV 1

Legislative Black Caucus of MD IncFAV 1

Maryland Alliance for Criminal Justice ReformFAV 2

Maryland Alliance for Justice ReformFAV 3FWA 2

Maryland Alliance For Justice ReformFWA 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 2

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)INFO 2

Maryland Council on Problem GamblingFAV 1

Maryland Crime Victim Resource CenterUNF 5

Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center, Inc.UNF 3

Maryland Crime Victims' Resource CenterUNF 1

Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc.UNF 2

Maryland JudiciaryUNF 2

Maryland Justice ProjectFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 2

Maryland Parole Partnership / ACLU of MarylandFAV 1

Maryland State's Attorney AssociationUNF 1

Maryland State's Attorneys' AssociationUNF 2

Maryland Youth Advisory Council / Associated Student Congress of Baltimore CityFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 2

MD Second Look CoalitionFAV 1

Montgomery County State's AttorneyUNF 2

Montgomery County States Attorneys OfficeUNF 1

Montgomery County Women's Democratic ClubFAV 1

Office of the Attorney GeneralINFO 1

Office of the Public DefenderFAV 3

Out for JusticeFAV 2

Prince George's County State's AttorneyFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 2

R Street InstituteFAV 2

RECTIFYFAV 1

Restore MarylandFAV 1FWA 1

Second look ActFAV 1

Second Look CoalitionFAV 2FWA 1

Second Look Coalition / S.O.C.K (Saving our communities Kids)FWA 1

Second Look NetworkFAV 1FWA 1

SEIU Local 500FAV 1FWA 1

SELFFAV 1

Social Work Advocates for Social ChangeFAV 1FWA 1

Student Justice AllianceFAV 1

The Episcopal Diocese of MarylandFAV 1

The Sentencing ProjectFAV 1FWA 1

UmmcFAV 1FWA 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

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

University of Maryland School of Law Gender Violence ClinicFAV 1

UULM-MDFAV 1

VARIEDFAV 1

YearFAV 1FWA 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVDews, ChristopherCornerstone Government AffairsRegistered for: Advance Maryland Education Fund; Beyond Impact; Center for Urban Families; Dews & Associates; Out for Justice, Inc.; REFORM Alliance…

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

FAVZelaya, MichelleMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

FAVPuentes, EricaProgressive MarylandRegistered for: Progressive Maryland

FAVMelvin, RobertR Street InstituteRegistered for: R Street Institute

FAVCano, ChristopherSEIU Local 500Registered for: SEIU Local 500

FAVAmanuel, YanetRegistered for: ACLU of Maryland

FAVWeintraub, JasonRegistered for: AFSCME Council 3; Albertsons Companies, Inc.; American Property Casualty Insurance Association; COPT Defense Properties; CVS Health; CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield…

FWANable-Juris, NikolaCampaign for the Fair Sentencing of YouthRegistered for: Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth

FWACano, ChristopherSEIU Local 500Registered for: SEIU Local 500

FWAAmanuel, YanetRegistered for: ACLU of Maryland

FWACarpenter, CrystalRegistered for: Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth

FWAtrusty, celesteRegistered for: Families Against Mandatory Minimums

INFOJordan, Lisae CMaryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)Registered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault