Maryland launches statewide commission to revamp juvenile justice system

BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) is reworking how it handles juveniles who break the law with a new statewide Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging Best Practices. 

On Monday the DJS announced that a 26-member commission will review and report on juvenile services, facilities, and programs in Maryland, working to reform detention policies and begin new supportive programming for justice-involved youth.

"The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services is focused on promoting accountability, rehabilitation, and preventing justice-involved young people from reoffending," said Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi. "Using a data-informed approach and in partnership with our legislative leaders, law enforcement, community leaders, and other system stakeholders, we are committed to working with the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform to build safer and stronger communities."  

The commission will be housed within the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy and will hold its first meeting in October.

New policies

The following Maryland detention policies have been reformed for juvenile offenders along with the launch of supportive programming to keep at-risk juveniles out of the system altogether:

• All youth who are referred to the department after being accused of a violent felony and who are not detained will be placed on electronic monitoring before their initial court appearance.
• All youth who are already on electronic monitoring and are charged with a violent felony will be detained.
• "CARE"—or Community Assistance for the Release Eligible—is a new program that will work with system-involved youth who are neither detained nor placed on community detention to support them and their families and provide service referrals.
• The Detention Diversion Advocacy Program will support youth who are placed by the courts in the community while their cases are pending with intensive supervision support from credible messengers.

The supportive programming will build upon the DJS' ongoing reform programs, the Establishment of the Thrive Academy, and a $17 million investment in community programs for the youth. 

The Establishment of the Thrive Academy prioritizes youth who are at the highest risk of gun violence. The program pairs participants with life coaches and case managers, many of whom have been incarcerated before. Offenders are then provided with a range of services and opportunities geared towards pathways for success. 

The General Assembly authorized $17 million for investing in services, supports, and opportunities for youth to assist with rehabilitation and ensure public safety in Fiscal Year 2025. The investment is an increase over the previous administration's which underspent its budget by an average of $13 million per year, according to the DJS.

Several high-priority juvenile justice policies will also be reworked including:

• Support and programming for girls in the juvenile system 
  
• The use of child-in-need-of-supervision petitions
• The number of petitions authorized or denied by jurisdiction
• Wait times for placement of children in facilities

The DJS said the changes reflect the Moore-Miller Administration's commitment to make Maryland safer by holding justice-involved youth accountable while providing them with rehabilitative support.

Mayor Scott expressed gratitude to the Moore Miller Administration for the announcement stating, "The policy changes announced by Governor Moore's administration today are simple, common-sense adjustments that will better serve everyone – including Baltimore's residents, our law enforcement officers diligently trying to responsibly do their jobs, and the young people themselves who find they are on the wrong path...I want to thank Governor Moore for hearing our concerns on this area, listening to us outlining the problems, and responsibly making adjustments that will have a real impact.   

Days after Patterson Park mugging

The announcement comes four days after a group of juveniles mugged a 66-year-old man in Patterson Park, leaving him lying unconscious in the middle of the street. 

Following the crime, city leaders expressed their frustration about apprehending the same juveniles over and over again and the juvenile justice system not holding them accountable.

"The current pattern does a disservice to our residents, our city, and, importantly, the young people themselves," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "But clearly the larger system continues to fail these young people by returning them to the same environment that cannot hold them accountable or on the right path without the additional support needed to make a real change."

"More must be done to address the ongoing challenges of crimes being committed by young people and the lack of consequences and accountability. These incidents undermine the work of the BPD and erode the trust our communities place in us to keep them safe," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said.