Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy

Supporting fair and proportional sentencing policy

Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy

Supporting fair and proportional sentencing policy

Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy

Supporting fair and proportional sentencing policy

The Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (MSCCSP) in 1999 as an independent agency to support fair and proportional sentencing policy and to monitor the State’s voluntary sentencing guidelines for criminal cases sentenced in the circuit courts. The MSCCSP is responsible for collecting and automating the sentencing guidelines worksheets, maintaining the sentencing guidelines database, monitoring circuit court sentencing practice, adopting changes to the guidelines consistent with the sentencing practices of Maryland circuit court judges, and providing training and orientation to criminal justice practitioners who apply the sentencing guidelines.

News

November 14, 2022

The MSCCSP updated the guidelines worksheet collection protocol for non-original sentencing events to provide consistency by limiting the collection of sentencing guidelines worksheets for three-judge panel reviews to those involving a crime of violence and to clarify the definition of “reconsiderations.” Additionally, the guidelines offense table was updated to reflect the classification of new offenses passed during the 2022 Legislative Session, as well as minor edits to the table. Finally, revisions were adopted to clarify the definition of “explosives” as it pertains to the assignment of weapon presence points in part C of the offense score. The November 2022 Guidelines E-News provides details regarding each of these revisions.