A September 15 Gazette article discusses concerns about police staffing shortages in Montgomery County due to police providing transportation to inmates for doctor and hospital visits. Montgomery County operates a health care program at the jails that is considered exemplary by two national organizations, but some worry there are not enough police officers to cover the streets when they are guarding inmates at hospitals and doctors' offices. ... "Ultimately what it's doing is taking police officers…

On August 26, 2010, the National Reentry Resource Center will host a free webinar for local government officials interested in offender reentry. The webinar will discuss the role of local government in reentry, how local government agencies can establish and sustain reentry efforts, and how these efforts affect local budgets. Reentry tools and resources available to local governments, such as the Urban Institute's Transition from Jail to Community Implementation Toolkit will be profiled. The webinar will feature…

As the Washington Examiner reports, members of the Montgomery County Council are interested in establishing an alternate court for nonviolent criminals with mental illness.  Council members claim: Inmates don't receive enough treatment behind bars and drain the cash-strapped county with each trip back to jail. But law enforcement and court officials say they don't have the money or resources to start up a specialized docket in the affluent suburb.

A July 9 WBAL 1090 AM article discusses Governor Martin O'Malley's upcoming homeland security presentation at the annual summer meeting of the National Governors Association.  Governor O'Malley, who is co-chair of the Association's Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, will focus on interoperable communications.  When a disaster or emergency requires a coordinated response from federal, state, and local authorities, the need for those authorities to have compatible communications systems is vital.  Governor O'Malley and roughly 40 other governors from across…