Sarah Sample, Author at Conduit Street

Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections

Charles County Detention Center Achieves Excellence in Health Services

Health care services in the Charles County Detention Center underwent a rigorous, voluntary evaluation to receive national accreditation. Charles County Detention Center (CCDC) Director Ryan Ross, alongside County Sheriff Troy D. Berry, announced that the CCDC has earned accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) by demonstrating compliance with NCCHC’s nationally recognized standards of care for correctional health services in jails. The accreditation is a voluntary process that involves a stringent professional…

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November 30, 2023

Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development

$27M Partnership with Counties for Digital Equity in Underserved Communities

Governor Moore announces a collaboration with 27 local governments to bridge the digital divide for underserved communities with a $27.2M investment in devices to help residents get online. According to a recent press release, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is coordinating a $27.2 million investment in devices as part of an effort to ensure residents have the technology to access reliable, high-speed internet. More than 133,000 laptops are being distributed to underserved,…

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November 29, 2023

Health and Human Services

Baltimore City’s Trauma-Informed Care Amongst Best in the Nation

Baltimore City received $250,000 as part of the Culture of Health Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. According to WYPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Baltimore City was recognized this year for exemplary work in the use of trauma-informed care to improve mental health in the community. The Culture of Health prize is awarded annually to communities where people and organizations are collaborating to build positive solutions to barriers that have created unequal…

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November 28, 2023

Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections

Hospital Visits Increase Around the Holidays, Maryland Will Be Stretched

With emergency room wait times so long, spending the holidays in Maryland could put residents and visitors at greater risk than if they left town. According to a Maryland Matters article, the holiday season brings with it, "increased risks of food poisoning, burns from cooking, car accident injuries, and the rise of wintertime ailments like the flu." Citing the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission report from September, the details show wait times in the…

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November 28, 2023

Courts / Public Safety and Corrections

Gun Law in Maryland Struck Down in Appeals Court, Lawmakers Consider Next Steps

The Bruen effect continues as the 30-day waiting period for a gun license in Maryland is found to be unconstitutional in a U.S. Court of Appeals. According to an article by CNN, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled that Maryland’s preliminary handgun licensure requirement is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. In this decision, a section from the Maryland Firearm Safety Act of 2013 was found to not pass the Bruen test -…

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November 28, 2023

Employee Benefits and Relations / Government Liability and Courts / Human Resources / Winter Conference

All Ships Rise: The Role of County Leaders and Employees in DEI Practices at #MACoCon

A 2023 MACo Winter Conference panel will discuss the challenges facing diversity, equity, and inclusion specialists when implementing new policies and practices as well as how employment law can help guide the way. Research has shown conversations around identity, gender, race, culture, politics, and religion are difficult to have anywhere, and particularly at work. But as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officers and Directors have taken on new and expanded roles in private and public organizations…

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November 27, 2023

Public Safety and Corrections / Winter Conference

Tweaks to Juvenile Justice Reform Up for Discussion in Maryland Senate

Lawmaker signals changes could be coming to juvenile justice reform during the 2024 legislative session. According to a WJLA news report, leaders in the Maryland Senate are considering changes to juvenile justice reform laws as the conversation around juvenile crime continues. The Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, Senator William Smith, will be looking specifically at laws that specify which types of crimes children under the age of thirteen can be charged. From the article:…

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November 27, 2023

Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive / Public Safety and Corrections

Hurry Up and Wait: Maryland’s Emergency Room Emergency

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week – read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. Maryland has regularly been reported to have the longest hospital room wait times of any state in the U.S., most recently averaging an eight hour wait time. Many reports show evidence of the problem as far…

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November 22, 2023

Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections / Winter Conference

Juvenile Justice Pt. 1: The Local Role at #MACoCon

The juvenile justice discussion in Maryland affects a sprawling number of local and state services and agencies that are working to reduce juvenile crime. Juvenile crime and justice issues have been a major topic of discussion in Maryland amongst community members and public officials. There are multiple state and local agencies that play a role in how juvenile offenders and at-risk youth are handled by the system. Recent hearings in the House Judiciary Committee have…

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November 20, 2023

Public Safety and Corrections / Winter Conference

Detention Center Staffing Shortages Are Putting Officers in Danger

Shifts in the labor market are affecting almost every sector but some more severely than others, especially in corrections where shortcuts due to staffing can be dangerous. A Maryland Matters article highlighted the safety concerns in Maryland detention centers, at both the state and local level, when staffing shortages persist. Union representatives reiterated that the shortages have lead to taking short cuts that put officers in danger. One officer was said to have been assaulted last…

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November 20, 2023

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