Bill > H2051

This bill aims to end lifetime parole for juveniles and emerging adults who were sentenced for certain serious crimes like first- or second-degree murder or manslaughter when they were between 14 and 21 years old. The bill introduces a new term "Transformational Youth" to describe these individuals and establishes a process for automatically terminating their parole after three consecutive years without violating the law. Under the proposed legislation, once a Transformational Youth has been on parole for three years without incident, their parole officer must submit a notice to the Parole Board, which will then be required to review and vote on issuing a Certificate of Termination of sentence. The bill applies retroactively, meaning it covers individuals who were sentenced before the law's enactment and are currently on parole. The process includes specific timelines for notification, such as informing the individual, the Commissioner of Correction, the sentencing judge (or regional administrative justice), and certified CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) petitioners and victims. If a Transformational Youth has already been on parole for more than three years when the law takes effect, they would be eligible for immediate parole termination, and any time already spent on parole would count towards the three-year requirement.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2051