Maryland political leaders unveiled a bill Wednesday that would increase accountability for juvenile offenders and the adults who run the juvenile justice system, but one leading lawmaker called it a “huge mess” without meaningful oversight. He said he was struggling in the middle of the day.
Democratic Gov. Wes Moore huddled with leaders of the Democratic-led General Assembly to announce the measure at a news conference.
“We need accountability when someone repeatedly violates the law, but we also need accountability for the adults and systems responsible for preventing and responding to such situations,” Moore said.
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The governor said he believes the state needs to rethink how it handles youth cases when firearms are involved, which is a key part of the bill.
“If children need more time to benefit from rehabilitation, we need to increase probation,” Moore said.
Most of the bill would extend the Maryland Juvenile Services’ jurisdiction to children under 13 for firearms crimes, motor vehicle theft, third-degree sex offenses and animal cruelty.
May 11, 2023 at the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis, Maryland. Maryland political leaders announced a bill on January 31, 2024 aimed at reforming the state’s juvenile justice system. (AP Photo/Brian Witte, File)
The measure would also require documentation of youth in police custody to close gaps in information sharing between law enforcement and juvenile services.
It also includes provisions to enable young people to participate in the rehabilitation process.
“We intend to extend the possible length of probation so that these children can receive and participate in the rehabilitation they need,” said Sen. Will Smith, a Montgomery County Democrat who chairs the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. .
Rep. Luke Clippinger, D-Baltimore, said the measure would combine oversight committees from different agencies and bring together schools, police, public defenders, child advocates and children who have experienced the system. He said it was a thing.
“The lack of cooperation in this system is unacceptable,” said Clippinger, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. “Everybody tries hard enough to check the boxes, but when you look at the kids, the kids that exist in the system, how do we move them forward and how do we move forward? No one is doing enough to work with each other to understand what’s going on.” We’re going to rehabilitate those kids.” ”
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Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) said that although juvenile offenders make up less than 10% of crimes, concerns about community safety and juvenile crime have increased in recent years.
“The simple truth is that Maryland’s juvenile justice system is not functioning optimally to provide the best outcomes for children and families,” Ferguson said.
House Speaker Adrian Jones said boys in the system were not receiving the services they needed and agencies were not sharing information with each other. She said there is “no meaningful oversight of this process at this time.”
“Let’s be clear: tremendous confusion currently separates juvenile offenders and the services and responsibilities they need,” said Jones, the Baltimore County Democrat. “Egos, political agendas and arguments over process have filled the gap. This is unacceptable. Boys need a clear path to rehabilitation and accountability.”
Maryland Republicans described the measure as encouraging.
“The recognition that some of the recent juvenile justice reforms have gone too far is refreshing,” said Rep. Jason Buckel, the House minority leader from Western Maryland. “Restoring Juvenile Services jurisdiction over 10- to 12-year-olds found in possession of firearms is an issue we championed last year and continue to advocate for.”
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But the measure drew immediate criticism from Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue, who said that nearly two years ago, lawmakers had labeled children as “one of the worst human rights abusers in the criminal justice system.” He said he approved the juvenile justice reform bill “to correct Maryland’s reputation.”
Dartigue said the overarching theme of the new measures is to bring young children between the ages of 10 and 12 into the juvenile court system, rather than social services. She also criticized the bill for taking away discretion in diverting children from arrest and prosecution and increasing reliance on probation and detention.
“Ultimately, the impact of these proposals will be to incarcerate more children, especially Black and brown children, who statistically enter the juvenile and adult criminal legal systems more than other children. ” Dartigue said in a statement.
