FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2025

Legislation Aligns Maryland with National Best Practices, Boosts Public Safety and Economic Opportunity

Annapolis, MD – Today, Governor Wes Moore highlighted the urgent need for commonsense improvements to Maryland’s expungement laws in his State of the State address, calling on lawmakers to pass the Expungement Reform Act of 2025 (SB 432/HB499). In support of this legislation, Erin Haney, Chief Policy Officer at REFORM Alliance, testified before the Judicial Proceedings Committee in support of SB 432, urging decisive action:

“Governor Moore has offered a bold vision for a criminal justice system that advances public safety while empowering Marylanders to rebuild their lives and contribute to our workforce,” said Erin Haney, Chief Policy Officer, REFORM Alliance. “Yet currently, even a missed check-in or failure to report a new address can result in a lifetime ban on clearing your record. Barring otherwise eligible individuals from accessing the proven recidivism-reducing benefits of expungement doesn’t make us safer, it actually makes us weaker. We strongly applaud Governor Moore’s leadership and urge the legislature to act swiftly in passing these critical reforms.”

Since 2018, more than 150,000 Marylanders have had their records cleared, a positive trend that SB 432 (and its companion bill, HB 499) aims to accelerate. The legislation would also bring Maryland in alignment with neighboring states like Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware, which have embraced forms of automatic expungement that do not restrict eligibility based on supervision violations.

“Would we prevent a student from graduating because of one missed meeting in their freshman year, even if they excelled afterward?” Haney stated. “I hope not. We recognize growth and potential – and our expungement laws should reflect that same fairness.”

The Expungement Reform Act of 2025 expands on Governor Moore’s recent Executive Clemency Order, creating clearer pathways to work, wages, and wealth for Marylanders with criminal records. It ensures that a technical probation or parole violation does not disqualify otherwise eligible individuals from receiving expungement. The legislation also broadens the list of charges eligible for expungement and removes certain cannabis-related convictions from public view in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search, reducing the long-term stigma associated with a criminal record.

These reforms promotes rehabilitation, enhances economic opportunities, and ensures that individuals who have completed their sentences and remained law-abiding can fully reintegrate into society.

Watch the full committee hearing here.

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More About REFORM Alliance:

REFORM Alliance is committed to transforming probation and parole throughout the United States by changing laws, systems, and culture. Our goal is to replace America’s punitive criminal justice system with a restorative approach that is fair, accountable, and invested in rehabilitation, making families and communities safer and stronger. Since its founding, REFORM Alliance has passed 18 bipartisan bills in 11 states, creating pathways for more than 850,000 people to exit the system.  For more information, visit https://reformalliance.com