NCJ Number
107437
Journal
Maryland Bar Journal Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Dated: (July 1986) Pages: 4-7
Date Published
1986
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes Maryland's mandated procedure for dealing with inmate grievances.
Abstract
In 1971, the Maryland General Assembly established the Inmate Grievance Commission (IGC) to review written complaints by inmates throughout the State. In 1984, the Administrative Remedy Procedure was established in most institutions. This grievance mechanism is not intended to replace IGC, which is an agency outside the prison, but is designed to resolve grievances at the institutional level, thus often precluding the need to file a complaint with IGC. Under the Administrative Remedy Procedure, an inmate is encouraged to discuss complaints with appropriate staff before using the formal grievance procedure. If the informal approach is not successful, the inmate's complaint is submitted in writing to the warden and forwarded to the grievance coordinator for investigation. The coordinator submits a written report on the matter to the warden, who decides how to respond to the complaint. If an inmate is not satisfied with the warden's response, the matter can be appealed to the IGC. As of September 30, 1985, a total of 1,876 complaints had been filed through the Administrative Remedy Procedure, of which 609 complaints had been resolved or partially resolved to the inmates' satisfaction.