Maryland Leaders Propose Juvenile Justice Reform

Maryland Governor Wes Moore and state Democratic leaders have introduced legislation to address issues in the juvenile justice system, focusing on accountability, rehabilitation, and collaboration. Proposed solutions include requiring police to write reports on juveniles taken into custody, increasing probation lengths, and expanding the jurisdiction of the Department of Juvenile Services to include younger children for certain offenses. The legislation seeks to improve the system's accountability and collaboration to provide better outcomes for children and families. However, there is criticism from the Maryland Youth Justice Coalition, which raised concerns about the focus on punishment and the impact on children needing support.