House Judiciary Committee Continues Focused Look at Juvenile Justice

Last Wednesday marked the second emergency meeting of the House Judiciary Committee to assess juvenile crime and justice.

A WTOP report highlighted the second emergency hearing on juvenile justice and diversion service strategies that was hosted by the Judiciary Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates last week. Lawmakers are discussing the issue and next steps in response to concerns around juvenile crime in Maryland. This meeting, and others to follow, are helping policymakers understand whether legislation is needed to address the problem in the coming 2024 legislative session.

The first hearing, that ran for just shy of five hours, took place in September and included stakeholder presentations as well as an extensive question and answer session. Committee members met in-person in Annapolis for the second meeting, which covered about three and half hours of discussion last Wednesday, mainly talking with police representatives and a representative from the Office of the Attorney General’s Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit. There is potential for a third meeting to feature conversation around specific recommendations, as well as additional meetings to take place in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

The 2023 MACo Winter Conference will host two panels on the local role in juvenile justice, including one that highlights existing programs operating locally to get at-risk youth the services they need to avoid criminality. The session, “Juvenile Justice, Pt 2: The Kids Aren’t All Right – Local Diversion Programs and Strategies,” will give conference attendees a first-hand look at what programs are working as lawmakers consider what else is needed.

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: