Governor to form work group to study laws that limit ex-offenders access to jobs and services. 

Governor Hogan has ordered a work group to review all Maryland laws and regulations that make it difficult for ex-prisoners to successfully reenter and participate in society.

As reported in The Baltimore Sun:

Hogan said he wants to identify which provisions, which he referred to as “collateral consequences,” are unnecessary or could be eased.

“These consequences have a lasting impact, making it more difficult for ex-offenders to re-enter society, find a job, and fully engage in the community,” Hogan, a Republican, said in a statement.

The work group will be led by Christopher Shank, a Republican former state senator who now heads the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. Hogan gave the group until Dec. 1, 2016, to present its findings.

…

A study by the American Bar Association found Maryland has 1,013 so-called “collateral consequences” to convictions on the books. A controlled-substance offense, for example, can bar someone from becoming a school bus driver and bar participation in some government programs.

For more information read the full article in The Baltimore Sun and additional coverage in The Washington Post.