Ch. 544

1997 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(10) The Commission shall hold a public hearing for the purpose of hearing
comments from the general public concerning the issues that are being studied by the
Commission.

(e) (1) The primary staff for the Commission shall be selected jointly by the
Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Judge of
the Court of Appeals.

(2) The following State agencies shall cooperate fully with the Commission:

(i) The Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention;

(ii) The Department of Legislative Reference;

(iii) The Department of Fiscal Services;

(iv) The Administrative Office of the Courts;

(v) The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services;

(vi) The Department of Budget and Management;

(vii) The Department of Juvenile Justice;
(viii) The Department of State Police; and
(ix) The State Board of Victim Services,

(3) All county and municipal governments and State agencies shall
cooperate fully with the Commission.

(f) (1) The purpose of the Commission is to evaluate the State's sentencing and
correctional laws and policies and make recommendations to the Governor and the
General Assembly regarding the following issues:

(i) Whether descriptive sentencing guidelines should be retained by
the State as a sentencing structure, either in their current form or in a modified form;

(ii) Whether the State should adopt guided discretion sentencing
guidelines and, if so, what type of guided discretion sentencing guidelines should be
adopted;

(iii) Whether the State should retain parole as a correctional option or
eliminate parole for all inmates or any particular category of inmates;

(iv) Whether the State should increase the minimum portion of a
sentence that must be served by all inmates or any particular category of inmates before
becoming eligible for parole;

(v) Whether the State should eliminate good time credits or otherwise
alter the manner in which an inmate may obtain release on mandatory supervision;

(vi) Whether the State needs to take action to ensure that there is a
coordinated system of correctional options programs at the State and county levels and, if
so, what action should be taken; and

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