News and Information
E-News
Guidelines E-News is a periodic newsletter delivered via email by the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy. Guidelines E-News provides information on the system of voluntary guidelines for the State’s circuit courts and highlights changes to the guidelines. It also provides useful information on worksheet completion and submission.
E-News 2026, Volume 21
News Releases – 2026
- April 24, 2026: The Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (MSCCSP) is HIRING! The MSCCSP seeks applicants for a detail oriented and enthusiastic full-time Faculty Specialist/Research Assistant. The full job description, including qualifications, compensation, and benefits, can be accessed via the University of Maryland Workday Application Portal. For best consideration, applicants should apply online via the portal by 5/22/2026.
- March 9, 2026: New features were released in version 13.0 of the Maryland Automated Guidelines System (MAGS). The What’s New in MAGS 13.0 document provides a summary of the changes to MAGS.
- January 31, 2026: The MSCCSP released its 2025 Annual Report which summarizes the Commission’s work last year, describes FY 2025 circuit court sentencing trends in Maryland, provides a comprehensive examination of judicial compliance with the State’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, and details information provided on the State’s sentencing guidelines worksheets. The report also offers a description of planned activities for the year ahead.
- January 1, 2026: The MSCCSP released new versions of the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Manual (MSGM) and the Guidelines Offense Table, effective January 1, 2026. These updates include: (1) revisions to the Guidelines Offense Table; (2) instructions for calculating sentencing guidelines for multiple violations, including contemporaneous violations, of CR, § 4-204 or CR, § 4-306(b); and (3) a revision to the definition of psychological victim injury in the sentencing guidelines Offense Score (MSGM, 6.1.B. Victim Injury). The January 2026 Guidelines E-News provides further details about these updates, as well as a note regarding the Maryland Automated Guidelines System (MAGS).
