Maryland prosecutors blast Youth Charging Reform Act, warn juvenile system is ‘broken’

MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland’s top prosecutors gathered Thursday at the statehouse in Annapolis to voice their opposition to the “Youth Charging Reform Act,” a bill aimed at reducing the number of juvenile suspects tried in adult court.

Prosecutors from Baltimore to Anne Arundel County expressed concerns about the state’s juvenile system, with Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates saying “the juvenile system here in the state of Maryland is broken.”

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The prosecutors argued that the juvenile court system is ill-equipped to handle an influx of new offenders.

“The services are inadequate,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said. “Are we solving problems or just revolving these children again through the system almost ensuring they’ll be back in the system again?”

Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino countered during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

“The research is clear… youth prosecuted in adult court are more likely to offend and commit more serious offenses,” she said.

Tolentino highlighted recent investments, including $33 million added to community-based programming and 50 new positions in residential facilities.

“The system has been broken for 20 years and there’s no way someone can come in and fix it in six months,” Bates insisted.

Prosecutors urged the state to develop long-term intensive treatment programs for violent youths, akin to those for adults.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy emphasized the need for established programs offering long-term care for juvenile offenders.

“We have nothing like that for these juvenile offenders,” he said.

“We have to fix the system before we can agree on something and until we fix the system we can’t agree,” Bates said.