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We Believe In ...
- Fairness
A person’s racial or ethnic group, economic background, or native language must not affect sentencing, punishment while in prison, access to education and job opportunities, parole, or re-entry supports.- Doing What Works
Our state’s criminal justice system should be accountable for using the practices that have been shown to reduce the likelihood of crimes and recidivism. For example, we know that family ties and visitors can reduce recidivism, so it is important that people who are incarcerated are assisted to maintain these critical connections with community.- Good Stewardship
Where sensible use of state resources can strengthen our communities to help them prevent crime – for example, through evidence-based programs for at-risk youth – we think this is a better use of our money than lengthy incarceration.- Second Chances
We believe that people can change. Given opportunities and support, people who have been incarcerated can choose to return to their communities and families as productive citizens.- Accountability
The state criminal justice system should maintain the data needed to be accountable to citizens. For example, it should be prepared to report on the racial and ethnic group of people in solitary confinement, the length of solitary confinement, and the alternatives to solitary confinement; the number of incarcerated persons who speak languages other than English and how the system is addressing communication issues; the mental health status of persons incarcerated and the measures taken to assist them in recovery.- Opportunities for Change
Many people involved with the criminal justice system have experienced trauma, are mentally ill, or have become addicted to substances. Others have learning disabilities, have never learned to read, or are developmentally impaired. We believe in access to treatment, in-prison opportunities, and community supports to help individuals turn their lives around.- Community Safety
We believe in safe, healthy communities. We believe all of us are safer when we use evidence-based interventions at every phase of involvement in the criminal justice system. We are all safer when:- sound community programs are available to prevent crime (for example, mentoring programs for at-risk youth);
- first offenders receive evidence-based interventions that help them avoid further involvement (for example, a diversion to treatment or mediation where appropriate);
- those who are incarcerated have opportunities to turn their lives around (for example, through fully funded NA and AA programs and opportunities to learn a skill); and
- returning citizens do not face barriers to finding treatment, jobs, and housing and are fully supported in their transition to community life so they never go back to prison.
Websites of Interest
The Ungers: A Matter of Time
Author Archives: Jim
The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration
American politicians are now eager to disown a failed criminal-justice system that’s left the U.S. with the largest incarcerated population in the world. But they’ve failed to reckon with history. Fifty years after Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s report “The Negro Family” … Continue reading
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November Newsletter: Focus Groups
View our November Newsletter here.
President Obama announces rehab action
President Obama Announces New Actions to Promote Rehabilitation and Reintegration for the Formerly-Incarcerated This Administration has consistently taken steps to make our criminal justice system fairer and more effective and to address the vicious cycle of poverty, criminality, and incarceration … Continue reading
MAJR Brochure
Download our MAJR brochure here. It is printable on legal sized paper.
Front page Baltimore Sun article on JRCC
Baltimore Sun, Oct 18, 2015 In Annapolis, lawmakers take a hard look at crime and punishment by Michael Dresser “Over the past decade, Maryland has been sentencing even nonviolent offenders to longer and longer prison terms — at greater and … Continue reading
Reentry Matters
The Maryland Reentry Collaborative in partnership with Coppin State University presents the Third Annual Statewide Reentry Symposium.
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MAJR October Newsletter
Take a look at our October newsletter sent out on October 1, 2015
MAJR Member Interviewed on the Radio
Barbara Thomas was interviewed in September on WCAO-AM: Heaven600, “Baltimore’s Good News Station.” Barbara Thomas of MAJR. Here is the gist of her remarks: Let’s talk about the state of justice equality in Maryland: What’s the status? Our work is … Continue reading
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MAJR August Newsletter
View our August 2015 Newsletter
How much time in jail is too much? How pretrial detention negatively impacts on low risk youth.
“It’s obvious that jail isn’t good for the jailed. It may be particularly bad for people accused of minor crimes, who are confined not because they are likely to be dangerous but because, under our cash-bail system, they can’t afford … Continue reading
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