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State Reform Profile

Maryland

Maryland has made significant strides in juvenile justice and drug reform, with Baltimore leading innovation in policing alternatives.

ALTREFORM COMPOSITE84/100

Key Statistics

Incarceration Rate
352
per 100,000 residents
Annual Cost
$43K
per incarcerated person
3-Year Recidivism
58%
reincarcerated within 3 yrs
Racial Disparity
6.2×
Black vs. White incarceration
Alt. Programs
35
active diversion programs
Reform Initiatives
9
tracked by AltReform

Incarceration by Race

MD Overall352
National Avg568
Black (est.)1,309
White (est.)114

Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.

Recidivism Rate

58%3-year recidivism
This stateNational avg: 67%

Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.

Cost vs. Alternatives

$43K
incarceration/yr
vs.
~$5K
diversion/yr

Active & Passed Reforms

3 initiatives

Justice Reinvestment ActView full details →

Reduced sentences for drug offenses and expanded parole.

PassedSentencing2016
AltReform Score81/100

HB 837 – Marijuana Decrim + LegalizationView full details →

Legalized recreational marijuana and expunged prior convictions.

PassedDrug Policy2023
AltReform Score87/100

Community Violence Intervention ProgramView full details →

Baltimore violence interruption program reducing shootings by 30%.

ActivePolicing2020
AltReform Score84/100

Data Sources & Methodology

Reform data sourced from state legislative records, BJS Criminal Justice Statistics, the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends dataset, and The Sentencing Project. AltReform prediction scores (0,100) are generated by our ML model trained on 20+ years of state-level reform outcomes, weighting recidivism reduction, racial equity impact, cost-effectiveness, and political feasibility. Statistics are the most recent available (2021,2024).

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