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MD Lawmakers Could Ease Parole Requirement for Lifers

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A measure before Maryland lawmakers would end the requirement for the governor to approve parole for someone serving a life sentence, after the Maryland Parole Commission has recommended the person be paroled.

Supporters are holding a news conference on Tuesday to talk about the bill. The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and the Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative are supporting the measure.

Supporters say Maryland's system is one of only three in the country where the governor must personally approve parole for lifers. They say that's made the process highly politicized.

Similar measures were introduced last year and in 2015, but no action was taken by legislative committees in either the House or the Senate.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.