A monumental parole bill – HB 467 / SB 822 – was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore and goes into effect on October 1, 2026. This bill addresses serious structural issues in Maryland’s parole system and ensures that the system is transparent and equitable for everyone involved.
The most substantial change in state law is the establishment of a schedule for parole hearings for every parole-eligible person. Previously, the Maryland Parole Commission had complete discretion to decide when a person’s next parole hearing would occur. Starting October 1, 2026, a person’s next parole hearing (after a denial) will occur not more than 2, 3, or 5 years after their previous hearing date, depending on the length of the person’s sentence and whether their conviction was for a crime against an individual.
Campaign Zero and PREPARE have created a handout for incarcerated people and their families to better understand the law change and how they can request a new parole hearing date (if necessary) within the new guidelines.
Parole Hearing Schedule Handout
Campaign Zero has conducted a rigorous 50 state review of parole statutes, state code, and administrative regulations across a variety of policy areas.
Campaign Zero supported two parole bills in the 2026 legislative session, HB 16 / SB 823 and HB 467 / SB 822, and prepared educational resources for legislators. These documents are provided below.
Modernizing Parole
Campaign Zero has reviewed both HB 467 / SB 822 and HB 16 / SB 823, two bills designed to modernize the state's parole system and increase transparency and equity.
Parole FAQs
We’ve outlined the most common questions regarding Maryland’s parole system and HB 467 / SB 822 and HB 16 / SB 823’s proposals.
Parole Process Map
Maryland's parole process is unknown to many. We've mapped out the process according to state law and highlighted changes proposed by HB 467 / SB 822 and HB 16 / SB 823.
Bill Summaries
Campaign Zero's review of the two bills introduced, HB 467 / SB 822 and HB 16 / SB 823, outlining their key provisions and potential impacts.
Automatic Hearings Comparison
Maryland is an outlier nationally, requiring people to apply for their next parole hearing rather than automatically scheduling. We’ve reviewed the cadence of automatic hearings across the country and compared it to HB 467 / SB 822’s proposal.
Read MoreParole Hearing Schedule
HB 467 / SB 822 ends permanent parole refusals and sets a maximum wait time between hearings. Starting October 1, 2026, subsequent hearings follow a schedule based on sentence length and incarcerating offense.
DownloadRecords Requests to Parole Commission
We've submitted records requests to both DPSCS and the Maryland Comptroller to better understand parole in the state. Information requested includes release rates, how often people are denied a hearing, and who the decision-makers are behind the scenes.
Responses are publicly available through MuckRock:
National Parole Review
Our analysis of both parole bills is based on our review of parole laws across all 50 states. Click below to see how other states' laws compare and how their statute language is similar / different to Maryland's proposals.
View Our Research Codebook