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Maryland lawmakers are looking to remove the governor 鈥� and potentially politics 鈥� from parole decisions.
Maryland is one of just a few remaining states that require its governor to sign off on the state parole board鈥檚 recommendations for parole and commutation of life sentences.
Because of that, no 鈥渓ifer,鈥� or person sentenced to life in prison, was released on parole for over two decades following former Gov. Parris N. Glendening鈥檚 鈥渓ife means life鈥� policy that he adopted in the mid-1990s.
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) is the听since the late William Donald Schaeffer (D), Glendening鈥檚 predecessor.
House Judiciary Chairman Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) and Del. Pamela Queen (D-Montgomery) have taken up a听, which has been introduced to the General Assembly in several iterations throughout the years, to remove the governor鈥檚 sign-off from the parole process.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that this group of people have committed, and have been convicted of, terrible crimes,鈥� Clippinger said at the bill鈥檚 hearing earlier this week. 鈥淗owever, they were sentenced to life with the possibility of parole; they were not sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.鈥�
Their version of the bill passed in the House during the 2020 session but died in the Senate when the legislature adjourned early because of COVID-19.
鈥淧olitics shouldn鈥檛 have any place in this process,鈥� said Clippinger.
Former lifers agree.
Calvin McNeill spent 鈥�39 years, day for day鈥� in prison for an offense he committed as a minor and had been before the parole board seven times.
He was recommended to be paroled or have his sentence commuted three times, unsuccessfully: denied once by former Gov. Martin O鈥橫alley (D) and twice by Hogan.
According to the,听Baltimore City State鈥檚 Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby (D) petitioned to have his sentence reconsidered, leading to his release in July 2020.
McNeill was the first person recommended for release under Mosby鈥檚 new Sentence Review Unit that was officially established last month. This is the same program that advocated for the release of Eraina Pretty, the听.
Lila Meadows, a University of Maryland law professor and Pretty鈥檚 defense council, testified in favor of Clippinger鈥檚 bill. She said that programs like Mosby鈥檚 are important, but don鈥檛 provide equal opportunities to those languishing in prison in other parts of the state.
鈥淵ou shouldn鈥檛 have access to justice in Baltimore City that you don鈥檛 have if your loved one was convicted in Baltimore County,鈥澨齅eadows told the Judiciary Committee.
Testifying in opposition was Baltimore County State鈥檚 Attorney Scott Shellenberger, who told the committee that the bill is 鈥渋n search of a problem that no longer exists,鈥� noting that Hogan has released dozens of people while in office: 26 via parole, 22 through commutation and seven on medical parole.
鈥淪o, this bill, while it maybe had some underpinnings 15 plus years ago, really doesn鈥檛 need to be around now,鈥� said Shellenberger.
While grateful for the program that led to his ultimate release, McNeill stood steadfast in his belief that the state鈥檚 current system does not work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 too much politics into this right here, because a judge and jury didn鈥檛 sentence me to life without parole,鈥� said McNeill. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 look at politics when it came to this.鈥�
Some victims鈥� family members support the decarceration of lifers, too.
Darryl Green鈥檚 brother was stabbed to death by a 14-year old who subsequently received a life sentence. After he served 25 years, Green and his family testified in court that he should be released.
鈥淚 forgave him. I think everybody deserves a second chance and I don鈥檛 think the politics of it should come into play,鈥� he said.
鈥淚magine going in an adult institution, 14-years-old and staying there for 25 years,鈥� said Green. 鈥淗e could stay there for 50 years or 75 years, 鈥� but it would never bring my brother back.鈥�
McNeill told committee members that he takes full responsibility for his actions, and prayed to his victim for their forgiveness.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of men that is still locked up that deserved to be home because they are showing and doing everything that we鈥檙e asked to do from the parole board to everybody else,鈥� he said.
