290/Maryland Manual

Herbert Matz, 1983; Paulette Tudor Wirsching,
1984; James L. Thomas, 1985; Col. William A.
Harris, 1986.

Marvin N. Robbins, Executive Director

One Investment Place
Suite 206
Towson 21204 Telephone: 321-3872

Chapter 210 of the Acts of 1971 created an In-
mate Grievance Commission within the Depart-
ment of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
The five members of the Commission are
appointed by the Governor with the advice of the
Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Ser-
vices for terms of four years. At least two mem-
bers are lawyers qualified to practice law in the
State, and at least two are persons of knowledge
and experience in one or more of the fields under
the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safe-
ty and Correctional Services.

The Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional
Services, with the advice of the Commission and
with the approval of the Governor, appoints the
Executive Director who serves at the pleasure of
the Secretary.

Any person confined to an institution within
the Division of Correction, or otherwise in the
custody of the Commissioner of Correction or
confined to the Patuxent Institution, who has any
grievance or complaint against any official or em-
ployee of the Division of Correction or Patuxent
Institution may submit such grievance or com-
plaint to the Inmate Grievance Commission for
adjudication (Code 1957, Art. 41, sec. 204F).

DIVISION OF PAROLE AND
PROBATION

Arnold J. Hopkins, Director
Donald Atkinson, Executive Assistant Director

William J. DeVance, Assistant Director, Bureau of
Field Operations

Vacancy, Assistant Director/or Administration

One Investment Place
Suite 702
Towson 21204 Telephone: 321-3666

The Division of Parole and Probation was origi-
nally created by Chapter 406, Acts of 1939, to ad-
minister the parole and probation laws of the
State. By Chapter 653, Acts of 1953, the Division
changed its name to the Department of Parole and
Probation. The Division was further reorganized
by Chapter 457, Acts of 1968, with the creation of
a Division of Parole and Probation separated

and apart from the Board of Parole. Heretofore,
the Director of the Division also had been the
chairperson of the Board of Parole. The Division
adopted its present name by Chapter 401, Acts of
1970, and became an agency of the Department
of Public Safety and Correctional Services on July
1, 1970.

The head of the Division of Parole and Proba-
tion is the Director of Parole and Probation. The
Director is appointed by the Secretary of Public
Safety and Correctional Services, with the ap-
proval of the Governor and the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, and serves at the pleasure of
the Secretary.

The Division supervises the conduct of parolees
and regularly informs the Maryland Parole Com-
mission of their activities. The Division recom-
mends, at its discretion, that the Commission is-
sue warrants for the retaking of parolees and
initiates warrants for the retaking of parolees
charged with a violation of parole, upon the dele-
gation of this power to the Director. The Division
also makes such investigations as may enable the
Parole Commission to determine the advisability
of granting paroles to persons sentenced under
the laws of Maryland.

Presentence or other investigations are complet-
ed for all State courts when requested. Unless the
court specifically orders to the contrary, the Divi-
sion must complete a presentence investigation
when the sentencing of a defendant convicted of a
felony in an Circuit Court or the Supreme Bench
of Baltimore City may result in the defendant be-
ing remanded to the jurisdiction of the Division
of Correction or his referral to Patuxent Institu-
tion. Effective July 1, 1982, these presentence re-
ports will contain a victim impact statement in
accordance with Chapter 494, Acts of 1982. The
Division, upon request of the courts, supervises
the conduct of persons placed on probation and
reports to the courts whether or not the condi-
tions of such probation are being met. Approxi-
mately 40 percent of all probation dispositions in-
clude a requirement for payment of either victim
restitution, court costs and fines, or attorney fees.
The Division also performs other probationary
services as requested by the court.

When requested by the Governor or his desig-
nee, the Division is authorized to conduct investi-
gations and prepare reports concerning persons
who apply for pardon, commutation of sentence,
or clemency. The Division also performs investi-
gations as required by the Uniform Out-of-State
Parolee Supervision Act concerning parolees and
probationers from other states now living in
Maryland. As directed by the Court of Special
Appeals, the Division investigates, reports, and