When someone is convicted of a crime in Maryland, the unknowns about “what happens next” can feel overwhelming. In many cases, a defendant may have only spend a single night in a detention center or jail before making bail or being release on bond.
For most first-time offenders, being incarcerated for a night(or 2) isn’t helpful to fully understand the process and what to expect. As prison consultants who work closely with defendants and their families, we get the same questions over and over:
· What happens after sentencing?
· When do I go to prison and what will happen?
· How can I stay safe?
Let’s break it down step by step.
Step 1: The Sentencing Hearing
Once a guilty verdict is entered — whether through a plea deal or after guilty verdict from a trial — the next step is sentencing. In Maryland, the judge has discretion within the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines. There is a several hundred page document called the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Manual (MSGM) which provides the outline and details for the guideliens. These recommended guidelines provide sentence ranges for three categories of offenses – person, drug, and property.
Additional factors like prior criminal history, seriousness of the offense, victim impact statements, and mitigation evidence all influence the outcome.
At this stage, preparation matters. Letters of support, evidence of rehabilitation (such as addiction, alcohol, psychiatric, abuse, or other treatment programs), and mitigation arguments can sometimes reduce a sentence.
If a judge departs from the sentencing guidelines, he/she must document the reason for imposing a sentence outside of the recommended guidelines.
Step 2: Post-Sentencing Custody
What happens immediately after sentencing depends on your charges and circumstances:
Non-violent cases / shorter sentences: A judge may allow you to “self-report” to a facility at a later date. This means you get time to put affairs in order before reporting directly to the assigned facility. This is dependent on a wide variety of factors and, in some cases, can be part of the negotiations if there is a plea deal.
Violent cases / longer sentences: More often, the defendant is taken into custody right after sentencing. After the sentencing hearing is concluded, the defendant will be handcuffed and taken to a secure section of the courthouse (typically in the basement or an annex) and wait to be transferred to a facility for intake. In Maryland, defendants sentenced to prison, will still be taken to their local county jail for a few days or weeks until they moved into the care of the Division of Corrections (DPDCS).
Step 3: Classification & Transfer
Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) uses a classification system to decide where you’ll serve your time. Classification factors include:
- Length of sentence
- Nature of the conviction
- Prior record and behavior
- Security needs (minimum, medium, maximum custody)
You may spend weeks at a central intake facility – such as Maryland Reception, Diagnostic, and Classification Center (MRDCC) before being transferred to your “home” institution.
Step 4: Prison Intake Process
When you first arrive at a Maryland state prison, intake includes a variety of steps and procedures. Like any large, bureaucratic government entity, the process can be slow and confusing. Inmates are not provided a written or verbal roadmap of what is happening, the next steps, and timing. However, the general process will include:
- Medical screening: To identify health needs.
- Psychological evaluation: Especially important for mental health treatment.
- Security assessment: To determine your custody level – minimum, maximum, etc.
- Orientation: Rules, expectations, and daily life are explained, and a handbook is typically provided, along with tablets and other basic essentials.
This process can feel overwhelming, but it’s critical to understand that patience and cooperation during intake set the tone for your prison stay.
Step 5: Life Inside
Once classified and housed, your daily routine begins. In Maryland state prisons, that includes:
- Count times multiple times per day. During count times in jail or prison, inmates are required to be in their cell. Counts happen throughout the day and night.
- Meals on a strict schedule. In some facilities breakfast is served as early as 4:30am, lunch at 11am, and dinner at 5pm.
- Access to programs like education, substance abuse treatment, or vocational training (though availability varies). Since 2020 and Covid, both prisons and jails are moving toward electronic communication tools – specifically tablets that allow for phone calls, online courses, books, music, and messaging to loved ones.
- Communication with family through mail, phone calls, and sometimes video visits.
- Work opportunities. Various work programs are typically available, allowing inmates the opportunity to spend time outside of their cell in a job that provides credit for days worked (i.e. time off a sentence).
Key Takeaway
The transition from sentencing to prison intake can be frightening — especially when you don’t know what to expect. But with preparation and guidance, you can approach the process with a plan instead of fear.
Even if you are going to a county jail and not a state prison, you can still be incarcerated with other offenders, including violent offenders and gang members in a local facility – so it’s important to understand all aspects of the process, what to expect, and how to act.
In addition, certain types of charges, such as sex-related offenses, carry additional security concerns that need to be planned for ahead of time.
As prison consultants, our role is to help defendants and families prepare, understand what’s coming, and avoid unnecessary mistakes that could make the process harder.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime, considering taking a plea deal, or preparing for a trial, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.