Correctional Services - Immigration Detention Facilities - Minimum Mandatory Standards

SB 985 requires Maryland's Secretary of Public Safety to establish minimum mandatory standards for immigration detention facilities, directly affecting people held for immigration violations (civil detainees) and the facilities housing them. The bill mandates standards covering security, safety, food, housing, sanitation, and individual rights, while creating new reporting obligations for health care workers and security guards who must report violations to the Commission on Correctional Standards. It grants the Commission expanded authority to inspect facilities, enforce compliance, shut down life-threatening facilities, and require disciplinary action against non-reporting staff. The law also updates reporting requirements for facility operators and authorizes the Attorney General to sue private facility operators for violations.