Ex-Maryland Governor says he wrongly denied early release

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A former Maryland governor says he was wrong to deny early release to prisoners sentenced to life.

Democrat Parris N. Glendening denounced his 1995 declaration and called for the governor to be removed from the parole process. The Washington Post reports Maryland is one of three states that require governors to sign off on parole for inmates sentenced to life.

No Maryland governor has signed off on a parole board’s recommendation to release a lifer who committed a crime before 18 years old since Glendening’s declaration. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan says the decision should be left to someone directly accountable to Maryland citizens, not the parole board.

The ACLU has challenged Maryland’s parole system, and the state General Assembly is considering legislation to take the responsibility away from the governor.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com