Posted on 12/18/24
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 18, 2024 - Fewer juveniles under state supervision were shot in the last year compared to previous years, but the number of juvenile suspects increased and leaders around the state are demanding more collaboration.
According to the latest juvenile shooting report published by the Department of Juvenile Services, DJS, there was an 11% increase in juveniles under supervision in 2024 compared to 2023, but a 25% decline in juveniles under supervision who were victims of non-fatal shootings. Four DJS children were killed in the last year and 31 – or 6.5% increase – juveniles were suspects in non-fatal shootings.
Information about how many DJS-supervised juveniles across Maryland comes as a result of the DJS Transparency Act of 2024 sponsored by Baltimore City Democratic Sen. Cory McCray. On the first day of the 2024 session, Sen. McCray said DJS needed to provide more details about how it responds to kids involved with gun violence.
“When we have juveniles who are engaged in shootings or nonfatal shootings – what’s the after-action plan? When did his agency make contact? How do we know retaliation won’t happen? He should be able to articulate that in a manner that everyone can understand,” Sen. McCray said in January.
A spokesperson for DJS said the agency continues to “work diligently to assess risks, address underlying issues, hold youth accountable for their behaviors and provide effective interventions to help young people avoid being the victim or perpetrator of gun violence.”
The data outlined in the report show the number of juveniles under DJS supervision who shot someone else was the highest in Baltimore City with 12; Prince George’s County had the second-most, with seven.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said the report highlights improved numbers, but the data still raises questions. Any juvenile under DJS supervision or care should not be involved in gun violence, Bates said.
“If that number is not zero, it indicates a problem that must be addressed. This concern is underscored by the large number of juveniles ‘under DJS care or supervision’ suspected of shooting another individual,” Bates said via statement. “How many of these youths were charged with murder or attempted murder? What do those numbers look like?”
Meanwhile, DJS points to the Thrive Academy as the hallmark response juvenile gun violence. Thrive was modeled after Baltimore City’s group violence reduction strategy, or GVRS, and offers participants stipends, educational assistance, trauma therapy, and confidential relocation assistance.
However, according to a report from July 2024, not every juvenile involved with the Thrive Academy is thriving. At the time of the July report, two of the 108 participants in Thrive were charged with first-degree murder, two others were charged with attempted first-degree murder, four faced carjacking charges, and seven faced firearm charges.
Senate President Bill Ferguson said Tuesday during a media briefing that the numbers included in the report do show improvements, but there are still unanswered questions about the effectiveness of programs and services being utilized.
“One of the stark realities is that the agency in a number of cases, the resources and services and interventions that are available, are not tracked for quality or effectiveness for who is being placed in those services,” Ferguson said. “This to me was mind boggling and has to be job number one.”
When it comes to the concerns surrounding juvenile crime now, Sen. Ferguson said it’s not a matter of changing the laws again, rather the implementation of current resources.
“People just have to do their jobs more effectively and work together,” he said.
When asked if his concerns about DJS are an indictment on DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi, Sen. Ferguson didn’t directly say yes; instead, he said a lot of the struggles were inherited, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.
“It’s an agency that has struggled for a while. But, at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. The secretary is accountable,” he said, noting so are lawmakers and other partners statewide.
“This is a watershed moment for investment in young people who are in the deep end of the system,” Sen. Ferguson added. “We’ve got to better than we’re doing right now.”