Decarceration Initiative Clinic

More than 1,000 Marylanders are serving life or defacto life sentences for serious crimes that they were convicted of before the age of 25. On October 1, 2025, the Maryland Second Look Act went into effect, allowing more than 500 individuals who were convicted between the ages of 18-24 and who have served at least 20 years in prison to ask the court to modify their sentence. The Maryland Second Look Act is an extension of the Juvenile Restoration Act, a law passed in 2021 that applied to individuals under the age of 18 at the time of the offense they were convicted of. Maryland leads the nation in racial disparities in our criminal legal system – more than 70% of Maryland’s prison population is Black compared to the 30% overall population of Black Marylanders. The racial disparity is even worse for individuals eligible for the relief described above – 87% of eligible individuals are Black.

Students in this clinic have an opportunity to fill a critical gap in legal services for indigent incarcerated individuals by representing incarcerated clients who were sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for crimes they were convicted of when they were either juveniles or young adults. Student attorneys develop client interviewing, counseling, and fact investigation skills through in-class simulations and representation of clients. Student attorneys also utilize their knowledge and skills in case theory development and persuasive legal analysis to draft motions for resentencing. Some students may have the opportunity to appear in circuit court to litigate a sentence modification hearing.

This clinic will be offered in fall 2026 and spring 2027 as a one-semester clinic for six credits. All students enrolled in fall clinic will be required to attend in-person clinic orientation on Friday, August 21, 2026, and those enrolled in spring clinic will be required to attend in-person clinic orientation on Friday, January 8, 2027, in addition to any clinic-specific orientation that the professor may schedule.