Maryland collaborative releases big report on “Racial Equity in the Criminal Legal System “

As reported in this local article, the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, an initiative by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Public Defender to reduce mass incarceration in the state, has released its first report detailing what it says are the historical roots and current drivers of mass incarceration and how to address racial disparities within the criminal legal system.”  Here is more:

The 105-page report outlines 18 recommendations addressing criminal justice reform and the reduction of racial disparities in Maryland’s prisons and jails, ranging from changes in law enforcement policies and practices to education and workforce development.

The recommendations include reducing unneeded police interactions with the public, decreasing police use of force, expanding alternatives to incarceration, ending unnecessary pretrial detention, increasing mental health services in jails, increasing access to geriatric and medical parole, reviewing long sentences, stopping the criminalization of in-school behavior, and expanding judicial training on implicit bias and cultural competency, among others.

The full report is titled “Breaking the 71%: A Path Toward Racial Equity in the Criminal Legal System,” and it looks like an interesting read.