After decades of “tough on crime” sentencing, Maryland has joined a growing movement to give young offenders a second chance. During the 2025 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed Maryland’s Second Look Act (known as House Bill 853).[1] Under the Bill, individuals convicted between ages 18 and 24 may move for a reduced sentence after 20 years, excluding those serving life terms, sex offenders, or those convicted of killing an on-duty first responder.[2] The changes amended Maryland Criminal Procedure § 8-110, which governs the procedures for moving to reduce duration of sentence for minors convicted as adults and went into effect beginning October 1, 2025.[3]

The legislation incentivizes rehabilitation by granting the opportunity for a second chance to inmates who have transformed their lives and are ready to rejoin society.[4] As previously mentioned, the Bill has several requirements that must be satisfied for inmates to be considered for eligibility.[5] Upon satisfying these requirements, the new law guarantees individuals the right to a hearing on their petition.[6] During the hearing, the court will need to consider factors such as participation in educational or rehabilitation programs, evidence of personal growth, the petitioner’s conduct in prison, reentry plans, and the nature of the original offense.[7] The law also mandates that victims be notified of the hearing and allowed to participate.[8]

Critics of the bill argued that permitting inmates to seek sentence reductions would undermine justice for victims and compel them to revisit painful memories of the crimes years later.[9] Proponents of the bill have emphasized that while the law guarantees a hearing, it does not guarantee that an inmates’ sentence will definitively be reduced.[10] Moreover, the court may grant a sentence reduction only upon finding that the individual no longer poses a threat to public safety and that reducing the sentence serves the interests of justice.[11]

Furthermore, if the court denies the petition, the individual must wait three years to refile and may submit no more than three petitions for the same sentence.[12]

Despite the number of steps inmates need to take to reach this ability for a second chance, the bill aims to address a larger systemic issue within the criminal justice system in Maryland.[13] Maryland ranks among the states with the highest percentage of incarcerated Black residents and some of the longest sentences imposed on young Black men.[14] The enactment of this legislation is intended to serve as a necessary correction to decades of sentencing practices that have unequally burdened Black and Brown communities in Maryland.[15] The Second Look Act represents an initial effort to remedy these disparities and to further the broader goal of racial equity.[16] Ultimately, by creating pathways for inmate rehabilitation, the bill opens the door to dialogue on racial equity and public safety across Maryland.[17]

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Natalia Ortega is a second-year day student and an Associate Editor for Law Forum. Natalia earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in Criminology & Criminal Justice, with a minor in Law and Society. At the University of Baltimore, Natalia is a competitor for the National Mock Trial Team, a member of the Honor Board, and a teaching assistant for Introduction to Trial Advocacy.  Previously, Natalia interned at the Montgomery County District Court with the Honorable Aileen E. Oliver and will serve as a Law Clerk for the State’s Attorney’s Office of Montgomery County in the summer of 2026. She expects to graduate May 2027. 

[1] H.B. 853, 447th Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (Md. 2025).

[2] Id.

[3] Md. Code Ann. Crim. Proc. § 8-110 (West 2025).

[4] Steve Crane, Criminal record expungement, parole reform measures signed into law, Maryland Matters (Apr. 23, 2025), https://marylandmatters.org/2025/04/23/criminal-record-expungement-parole-reform-measures-signed-int o-law/ (on file with the University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[5] H.B. 853.

[6] Maryland Second Look Act: What You Need to Know, SO. MD. CRIM. DEF. (May 21, 2025), https://somdcriminaldefense.com/maryland-second-look-act-what-you-need-to-know/ (on file with the University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[7] Id.

[8] Id.

[9] Crane, supra note 5.

[10] Id.

[11] Maryland Second Look Act: What You Need to Know, supra note 7.

[12] Id.

[13] Maryland Enacts Second Look Act, Offering a Path to Reconsider Long Prison Sentences, ACLU Md. (April 23, 2025), https://www.aclu-md.org/press-releases/maryland-enacts-second-look-act-offering-path-reconsider-long-prison-sentences/ (on file with the University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[14] Id.

[15] Id.

[16] Id.

[17] Id.