* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
DLR Draft I 8Apr20 DLR Draft I 8Apr20
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Scott
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
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Inmate Release Due to COVID-19
For the purpose of supporting the American Civil Liberties Union’s recommendation that the State release certain inmates from jail and prison due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recitals
The State of Maryland, like much of the rest of the country, is in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Hogan recently stated that Maryland is an emerging hotspot for the disease. The CDC recommends that people practice social distancing, or that people stay at least 6 feet away from others, to prevent the spread of the disease. The close quarters found in jails and prisons makes social distancing impossible in most scenarios. Therefore, jails and prisons are likely to become hotbeds of the disease if steps are not taken to reduce the number of inmates in these facilities.
To slow the spread of COVID-19, the ACLU has asked Governors to grant commutations to certain inmates. Specifically, any inmate whose sentence is scheduled to end in the next year, any inmate who is being held on a technical supervision violation, and any inmate who is particularly vulnerable to the disease and whose sentence is scheduled to end in the next two years. The Centers for Disease Control has found that individuals who are over 65 years of age and people with serious underlying conditions like hear...
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