In July 2015, Frederick Friends Meeting agreed to endorse the Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform (MAJR) and encourage our members and attenders to sign up for action alerts at the MAJR website, www.ma4jr.org.

MAJR is a bipartisan, statewide alliance advocating policies and laws to counter injustice in our criminal justice system. Or, in the language of the website: “seeking legislative changes indispensable to bring Maryland into the 21st century with corrections policies that are evidence-based, humane and effective.”

By endorsing MAJR, we are joining with them to address the problem of mass incarceration in Maryland through these goals:

• To fully support alternatives to incarceration where appropriate;

• To save taxpayer dollars and reallocate the savings to build safer communities;

• To strengthen Maryland communities by supporting families, helping people returning from jails and prisons lead productive lives, and preventing crime;

• To end inequities in our justice system.

The MAJR website contains a wealth of information and resources on these topics and will later include legislation they are advocating in the 2016 Maryland legislation session. As an endorsing organization, we will receive regular, general updates. Individuals who have signed up on the website will also receive email alerts specific to where they live.