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| Juvenile Justice: Keep Kids Safely in Their Homes and Communities |
 In Maryland today, far too many children who are endangered or in trouble end up not in a safe home in their community, but in a group home or institutional care. This is true for abused and neglected children, as well as those in the juvenile justice system. Family and community based settings are often the best option, but unavailable. |
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Success by 2010
- Safely cut by a third the number of delinquent children who are confined, from 1,500 to 1,000;
- Safely cut in half the recidivism of children within one year of release from confinement, from 52% down to 26%.
Track Progress
On the Data Dashboard
Solutions
Create continuum of community-based services so that delinquent children are not unnecessarily removed from their homes or placed in confinement.
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Update
Juvenile Jail Seeks To Expand Beyond Recommended Size
Silver Oak Academy, the privately-run juvenile facility at the edge of Maryland, seeks to grow beyond its current size and opposes a legislative limit of 48-beds, supported by Advocates for Children and Youth. According to research, delinquent youth need to be served close enough to their homes to permit whole-family treatment and seamless re-entry back into their communities. Excessively large facilities serve children from too far away for this to happen effectively and have high recidivism rates. Read more >>
Governor Expands Community Services, Delays New Jails
Evidence-based community services will grow modestly under the Governor's proposed budget. Meanwhile, funding for two new juvenile jails is delayed, giving more time to come up with better residential programming. Read more >>
Juvenile Recidivism Remains Catastrophically High
The Governor's budget book reveals continued high recidivism for juveniles, despite a large increase in funding--56 percent of youth are re-arrested within a year. Read more >>
New York City Merges Juvenile Services into Child Welfare
New York City will better protect public safety by having the child welfare system address the needs of delinquent youth and their families. Read more >>
Maryland Youth Report Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Facility
Three out of ten youth said they were the victims of sexual abuse at a Maryland juvenile facility, prompting an independent investigation. Read more >>
New York Times Pushes
Missouri's Juvenile Model
In an editorial, The New York Times strongly supported small, regional juvenile facilities that involve parents in the therapeutic process and help young people with drug treatment, education or job placement after release. Read more >>
Legislators To Address School-Based Arrest Disparities
Despite the State’s fiscal situation, there are significant low- and no-cost opportunities to improve services for children. As state legislators convene in Annapolis, delegates and senators will consider strategies to end racial disparities in school-based arrests. Read more >>
Media Exposes Flaws at Waxter Center for Girls
Two recent articles highlight the poor conditions at the Waxter Center for juvenile girls. But while the State wants to rebuild the facility, the research shows that girls should be treated along with their families and near to the communities to which they will return. There are cost-effective ways to do this, and the alternatives are even more costly to public safety and the taxpayer.
Report Finds No Benefit in Juvenile Jails
A new report by the MacArthur Foundation found that stays in expensive institutional placements produced no measurable results. Even for youth found guilty of serious offenses, the research shows that institutional placement appears to have no advantage over probation in reducing rates of re-arrest or self-reported offending. Read more >>
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For more information, contact
Angela Conyers Johnese,
Juvenile Justice Director,
410-547-9200 x3028
MORE JUVENILE JUSTICE UPDATES!!!
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Silver Spring * Baltimore * Annapolis
8 Market Place, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202-4034
Phone: 410-547-9200 Fax: 410-547-8690 E-mail Us
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