Overview

• Maryland lawmakers are pushing for stricter parole laws following the tragic death of tech CEO Pava LaPere, who was raped and murdered by a repeat offender released early on earned diminution credits.
• The proposed legislation, dubbed the Pava Marie LaPere Act, seeks to prohibit people convicted of first-degree sexual offenses from earning early release credits, requiring the Maryland Parole Commission to approve any early release.
• Jason Dean Billingsley, the offender who killed LaPere, served nine years of a reduced 30-year sentence for charges including first-degree assault under a plea deal, despite being denied parole twice by the state.
• Billingsley was released early due to earned diminution credits, a system that the proposed legislation aims to change for violent sexual offenders.
• Supporters of the bill argue that it is about public safety and preventing further tragedies like LaPere's, while critics argue that diminution credits are an important rehabilitative tool.