U.S. News

The Geriatric and Medical Parole Reform bill allows some incarcerated people who are older or sick to apply for early release.

The bill will change how the Maryland Parole Commission evaluates requests for medical parole, and add a meeting between the incarcerated person and the commission.

Under the bill, the commission is required to consider the age of an incarcerated person when determining if they should be granted parole.

Lawmakers also passed the Second Look Act, a bill that allows courts to review long prison sentences for people who were convicted of a crime that occurred when they were between the ages of 18 and 25.

The Restorative Practices in Public Schools bill requires the Maryland Department of Education to create a guide to establish restorative practices in daily school activities.

The restorative approach is proactive in setting behavioral expectations that contribute to the well-being of students. The practices focus on holding students accountable for harmful behavior.