|
PRESS RELEASE
Ex Officio Mayor's Office Statement on Youth Diversion Assessment
BALTIMORE, MD. — On April 1st, the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (“CCLP”) released a comprehensive assessment of the City’s efforts to decrease youth involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This report, a requirement of the Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice, details existing barriers to diversion as well as recommendations for increasing the number of youth who are diverted from the criminal and juvenile justice systems. The report can be accessed here.
CCLP, a Washington, DC-based non-profit, was selected to complete the required assessment and report. CCLP has worked with jurisdictions throughout the country to improve their response to young people who have been in contact with the justice system, particularly from the lens of racial and ethnic equity and inclusion.
“I am grateful for the diligent work on behalf of Baltimore City residents by the Mayor’s Office of Human Resources, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and the Baltimore Police Department,” said ex officio Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young. “This comprehensive assessment of the City’s efforts to decrease young people’s involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems will be pivotal in moving Baltimore City forward under the consent decree. This report provides a framework that can guide our work as we move ahead with a focus on equity and inclusion.”
In the spring of 2018, the Mayor’s Office of Human Services (“MOHS”), in partnership with the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”), began work on the assessment by convening juvenile justice partners and community members. Since that time, more than 25 workgroup members have met monthly to oversee the assessment. More than 300 community members and youth also took the time to share their experiences and suggestions on how to keep our young people out of the juvenile justice system.
“I am proud of the work that went into this report,” said Ganesha Martin, the new Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. “It speaks to the progress that can be made when we work together to move the city forward. Stakeholders from agencies, non-profits and communities worked collaboratively towards a common goal. During the original negotiations around the consent decree, it was apparent that there were gaps in the city’s juvenile diversion system. This report provides a road map to address these gaps by creating a strategy to addresses both the systemic and environmental circumstances that lead to crime and involvement with the criminal justice system. This is a great foundation to move our juvenile justice work forward.”
Moving forward, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice will review the recommendations highlighted in the report and plans to convene system partners and community stakeholders to provide input on next steps. The public is encouraged to review the report and provide input using this on-line form.
For more information contact:
Director Ganesha Martin
Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice
Ganesha.martin@baltimorecity.gov
443-750-0875
|
