Basic services, 2022
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Overall
State operated
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Detention
State operated
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Probation
State operated
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Reentry
State operated
| Maryland's delinquency services are centrally organized by the Maryland Department of Juvenile (DJS) services, a state independent juvenile corrections agency. Community supervision, secure detention, state commitments, and reentry services are all administered by DJS. |
Purpose clauses, 2016
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No clause
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Parens patriae
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Due process era
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Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ)
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Developmental Approach
Corrections agency, 2015
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Independent juvenile corrections agency
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Family/child welfare agency or division
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Broad human services agency
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Adult corrections agency or division
The Maryland Department of Juvenile (DJS) services administers commitments to state juvenile correctional facilities and reentry services for youth leaving those facilities.
Intake and diversion, 2016
Initial intake and court diversion decision is at the discretion of the prosecutor or the juvenile court intake officer, divided by offense.
Pre-petition court diversion time limit/s exist.
Solitary confinement, 2016
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Prohibits punitive confinement
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Limits punitive confinement
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No limits on punitive confinement
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Did not respond
Solitary confinement for punitive purposes is not allowed in Maryland's juvenile correctional facilities. Confinement is allowed when necessary to protect the youth or others, or to prevent an escape. Confinement is limited to 3 days except in an emergency, and if over 24 hours, must be approved by superintendent. (Adapted from 51 Jurisdiction Survey of Juvenile Solitary Confinement Rules in Juvenile Justice Systems, 2016. Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest at Lowenstein Sandler LLP)
Release decision, 2016
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Agency
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Court
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Parole board
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Agency and court
Releases from the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) are the responsibility of the committing courts. DJS staff and the DJS Community Services Division jointly recommend to the court when a juvenile should be physically discharged from a residential program, and where he or she should go. The courts have the final decision. A risk needs assessment does not currently guide the release decision.
Risk assessment, 2020
| Organization |
2013 |
2017 |
2020 |
| Statewide uniform assessment |
|
|
|
| Layered/regional assessment |
|
|
|
| Locally administered assessment |
|
|
|
In Maryland, juvenile probation is administered by the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) which requires the use of a risk/needs assessment through an administrative policy. Maryland uses the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment and Service Planning Risk Screen/Needs Assessment (MCASP) statewide, which combines an up-front risk assessment followed by a needs assessment if the youth is adjudicated. Information from these tools are used to guide diversion from formal process decisions and informal adjustment planning develop/inform pre-disposition investigation reports and/or planning, develop probation disposition recommendations to the juvenile court, assign probation supervision level, and develop probation case plans. The state is able to aggregate case level data and uses it to support local reliability and validity testing of the tool, assist with probation administration and organizational planning, and for ongoing policy research.
Sex offender registration, 2015
Registers
Risk instruments, 2017
- Risk instruments tool used
- Maryland Comprehensive Asst and Service Planning
Mental health screening, 2014
Did not respond to survey.
Frameworks for evidence-based practices, 2014
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Statute
Supporting commitment to EBPs
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Administrative regulations
Either in corrections, probation, or the juvenile court
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Support center
Or collaboration dedicated to coordinating activities around implementing, evaluating, and sustaining EBPs
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No stance
No official stance on EBPs
-
Did not respond
State did not respond to the survey
Maryland supports the advancement of evidence based programs and practices in juvenile justice through state agency regulations and through the development of a resource center on the topic. The Institute for Innovation and Implementation (The Institute) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work is under contract with the Governor's Office for Children (GOC) through the Maryland Children's Cabinet to support the implementation of and outcomes monitoring for a variety of evidence-based practices (EBP) utilized with a broad range of youth involved with different agencies across the state including those related to Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare and Mental Health. The Institute assists State and local partners in the implementation of Evidence-Based and Promising Practices through the provision of technical assistance geared towards selection, scale-up, training/coaching, evaluation and policy development related to these practices. A statewide directory of evidence based practices is currently in development.
Recidivism reporting, 2016
- Study populations
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The group(s) of youth being studied in states that publicly report recidivism data.
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Arrest
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Court action
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Supervision
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Placement
- Re-offense events
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Events that are used to measure recidivism in states that publicly report recidivism data.
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Arrest
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Court action
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Supervision
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Placement
- Follow-up periods
-
Details regarding the length of time and frequency that youth are tracked in states that publicly report recidivism data.
36 months with interval and adult systems reporting
- Details
-
Additional levels of analysis provided in states that publicly report recidivism data.
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County
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Age
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Gender
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Race/ethn.
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Risk level
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Initial offense
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Re-offense
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Prior history
The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services reports recidivism data youth on probation supervision and youth committed to out-of-home placements. Measures of recidivism include re-arrest, reconviction, and re-incarceration. Recidivism rates are presented at 12 month intervals with a maximum follow up period of 36 months.
Data sources
- Data Resource Guide FY 2015
- Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
Progressive recidivism data
The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services produces an annual Data Resource Guide which includes a chapter on recidivism. The report includes recidivism rates for probation and committed populations and measures multiple marker events including juvenile and adult arrests, adjudication/conviction, and commitment/incarceration. The report also includes analyses of recidivism rates by risk level and program type (group home, independent living, state operated, etc).
12-month juvenile and/or criminal justice recidivism rates by risk level*, FY 2014 new probation youth**
*There were 49 youth out of 2,339 who did not have MCASP risk levels. Percentages are calculated excluding these missing values.
**Youth with a high risk level had higher rearrest rates, though consideration needs to be given to the smaller number of youth with a high risk. At reconviction and incarceration, youth with moderate risk levels had the highest recidivism rates.
Report excerpt, 2015 Data Resource Guide (p. 187).
