There is general agreement around the goal of greater transparency for State’s Attorneys offices but funding for modernization remains in question.
A legislative task force, created to assess data collection and policies within Maryland State’s Attorneys’ offices is preparing recommendations for the Senate and House committees by Dec. 31. The report will provide an update on whether prosecutors’ practices are equitable and fair as well as how those processes can bolster trust from the community.
The bulk of suggestions focused on creating a statewide, uniform procedure to collect data and a plan for providing one-time, start-up costs to upgrade or implement more modern technology. Specific data requirements were also discussed including:
- age
- race
- gender of victims
- gender of defendants
Delegate Moon reiterated that progress in this area will only be possible in cooperation with the State’s Attorneys.
“We have attempted to take the conversation from the last few sessions we’ve had together and come up with a consensus set of recommendations,” said Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery), co-chair of the task force. “This entire enterprise doesn’t make sense unless we have buy-in from the state’s attorneys’ offices in implementing this.”
President of the State’s Attorneys’ Association, Rich Gibson, reiterated that the efforts could be beneficial but not without the funding to get the programs off the ground. Previous meetings covered similar ground and concerns. Senator Charles Sydnor and Delegate David Moon co-chair the task force and are working with the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services on the final report. Recommendations are set for announcement on December 28th.
