New laws set higher standards for juveniles accused of serious crimes

BALTIMORE — New changes to Maryland's juvenile justice laws took effect Friday.

The new law allows children between the ages of 10 and 12 to be charged with illegal firearm possession, car theft, animal cruelty and third-degree sexual offenses. Before the change, children had to be 13 years old to be charged with these crimes.

It also allows prosecutors to investigate cases against young people under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS).

This comes months after Gov. Wes Moore signed the Juvenile Justice Reform Act. Lawmakers introduced it at the beginning of the year to combat the increase in juvenile crime. This included the formation of a commission to hold the Justice Department accountable and provide comprehensive rehabilitation support for justice-involved youth.

Transparency and clarity

Baltimore City Attorney Ivan Bates said the changes bring transparency and accountability to the juvenile justice system. Bates said it allows his office and others to see how the Department of Juvenile Services treats young people and provides a number of benefits to the prosecutor's office.

Ivan Bates also said documents about detained young people would now be received by the prosecutor's office within two days.

“Paperwork used to arrive at our office maybe 25 days, 50 days, 75 days later,” he said.

If DJS places a young person on electronic house arrest and they violate the order, DJS must notify the courts, prosecutor and defense attorney within 24 hours, according to Bates.

“This is a big change because DJS never informed anyone about it before. So no one in the system knew what was going on with the young person.”

Additional changes

Changes to juvenile justice laws also extend probation periods for juvenile offenses, extending the probation period for an offense from six months to one year.

The maximum initial probation period for a felony increases from one year to two years.

“It also gives judges the ability to retry young people if they violate their probation,” Bates added.

He hopes this will end the cycle of juvenile reoffending and provide young people with the resources they need.

“We circled this young person for the first time because there is a certain level of responsibility,” he said. “So when the police make the arrest, this young person will come in and everyone will understand what is going on with this young person.”

These changes come after Governor Moore announced that the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and New Best Practices will hold its first meeting on November 6th. Former Baltimore City Judge Andre Davis will serve as commission chairman.

The commission is tasked with reviewing programs to keep children out of the juvenile justice system. The Commission will also review and report on a number of priority juvenile justice interventions, including the treatment and programming of women in the juvenile justice system and more.