‘You will see increasing accountability’

New juvenile justice laws will be implemented Friday in Maryland that Gov. Wes Moore said will usher in more accountability and lower crime rates. Baltimore Sun co-owner Armstrong Williams interviewed the governor to explore what the juvenile justice changes will mean for Maryland residents.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: There have been questions surrounding high-profile incidents involving juveniles under state supervision. However, there has been less discussion about what the actual trendlines are telling us about your approach. What are the ground truth results?

A: Since Day One, our administration has addressed public safety and juvenile justice through an all-of-the-above approach. These are complex issues, so our response will be complex, too — and bring together all parts of society. We are making the choice to invest strategically, build the right partnerships and bring everyone to the table to help develop solutions.

And here’s the important thing: Our approach is working. According to preliminary data, juvenile homicides are down statewide 23% year-to-date. Juvenile non-fatal shootings are down 43% statewide. Juvenile auto thefts are down by 11% statewide. Those kinds of data-backed results don’t happen “just because.” They happen because of policies specifically designed to drive down instances of crime committed by youth.

We have made real progress — and still there is much more to do. I recognize we have big work ahead to ensure every Marylander feels safe in their community. But in a very short amount of time, we have laid a strong foundation on this issue, and our administration will continue to work with law enforcement, the courts, our state’s attorneys, legislators and our local government leaders to continue pushing trends in the right direction.

Q: What measures have you taken during your administration to reform the state’s approach to juvenile justice?

A: When we assumed office, the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services was, in a word, broken. The previous administration had closed five juvenile detention facilities in eight years, and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services returned an average of $13 million each year — about $130 million in total — back to the state budget, instead of investing in programs to improve public safety. What’s more, our predecessors failed to draw down millions in federal funding to support efforts to tackle juvenile crime.

We determined that we would use every tool in our toolbox — from prioritized investment to legislation and executive action to rebuilding partnerships — so we could deliver real results immediately.

Since taking office, the Moore-Miller Administration has committed a total of $268 million for community and residential operations to provide direct care for youth in the care of the Department of Juvenile Services. We directed more than $17 million to strengthening community-based mentorship and supervision programs. We also invested nearly $200 million into expanding mental health resources and increasing access to mental and behavioral health care.

I’m also proud that we were able to work with the Maryland General Assembly this session to pass a Juvenile Justice Reform bill, which goes into effect on Nov. 1 of this year. The legislation is an incredibly important step in promoting accountability, both for young people who commit crimes and the systems that serve to hold them accountable.

Importantly, this legislation positions key stakeholders — including state agencies, legislators, and law enforcement entities — to improve communication within and increase scrutiny throughout the juvenile legal system. Step by step, we are charting a better path toward enforcing laws and providing rehabilitative support for our justice-involved youth.

We are approaching juvenile justice and accountability from every angle and with all the levers of government, strengthening the foundational elements of how the state government tackles juvenile crime and juvenile justice. I’m also very clear that we have more work to do. This isn’t going to be an issue that we solve overnight, but it will be something we continue to focus on every single day, in partnership.

Q: How have you created additional accountability for repeat offenders?

A: In addition to investment and legislation, we are working at the state agency and executive office levels to improve accountability, especially for repeat offenders. For example, I recently called for a review of information-sharing practices for youth charged or convicted of violent crime and authorized immediate action to amend regulations. The result clarified reportable offense procedures, all with the goal of improving the transmission of information between law enforcement, schools and government agencies. The better we’re able to share information, the better we’re able to ensure repeat offenders are held to account for their actions.

I also believe one of the best ways we ensure that children don’t get caught in cycles of crime is by holding our own state agencies accountable for providing the right services and rehabilitation whenever a young person breaks the law — and ensuring that all parts of the justice system are communicating with each other quickly and accurately as we work together to tackle cases responsibly.

Q: What gaps, if any, do you see in the current system that require fixing? For example, you issued guidance for better information sharing across agencies related to justice-involved youth in our public schools. Are there other areas for improved communication?

A: When we took office, we quickly realized there was a lot of breakage in the system. Foundational challenges were made worse by decisions of the previous administration, which returned more than $130 million meant for the Department of Juvenile Services and closed five facilities during their tenure. The relationship between government leaders and the community had fallen apart. Data-sharing within key jurisdictions like Baltimore City were siloed. Information sharing between law enforcement, school systems and state agencies was in disarray. We knew we needed to act fast and lean in hard to make improvements. We simply could not continue to compromise the safety and well-being of our kids and communities.

As a matter of first principles, we need to make sure we aren’t applying a one-size-fits all approach to our kids because this is not a one-size-fits all problem. The justice system is deeply complex — the experiences of justice-involved kids are unique — no two cases are the same. We are trying to make sure we do a better job of approaching juvenile justice with that very philosophy. But the end goal is not to incarcerate more kids. The end goal is to actually hold youth accountable for their behavior and provide meaningful rehabilitation.

Let’s be clear: the worst offenders in our state, who commit heinous crimes, must be kept away from our communities. That is a matter of basic public safety. Still, most justice-involved kids are simply in need of the right support, not only from the juvenile justice system, but also from partners that can help improve their physical, mental and behavioral health. We are laser-focused on building a more collaborative ecosystem across the administration that empowers leaders both inside and outside of the state government to communicate about our kids’ needs.

Promoting accountability can’t be done by rubber stamp. A more measured and comprehensive approach will help not only keep our communities safe but also ensure that our children receive the support they need to thrive.

Q: How does the new law taking effect change the state’s approach to juvenile justice?

A: The Juvenile Justice Reform bill that I signed into law this year marks an important step forward in our work to make Maryland safer. At the start of the legislative session, I made clear that our priority had to be accountability — both for young people who break the law and for those sworn to provide them with the services they need to be rehabilitated and to contribute in positive ways to our society. That philosophy is at the heart of the legislation we enacted.

This legislation provides additional levels of accountability at all levels of the juvenile justice system — from ensuring children caught carrying guns and stealing cars face real consequences, to giving courts the ability to expand probation, to setting up sweeping juvenile legal system oversight and data collection, so we are always following the facts and taking actions consistent with the data.

We are rethinking how cases are processed for young people when there’s a firearm involved. We are increasing probation when kids need more time to benefit from rehabilitation. We are going to be able to respond more appropriately to tragic situations where a very young person takes someone’s life, regardless of their age.

But I want to be clear: These steps won’t be our last. We have much more work to do. There is a long road ahead, but we are beginning to see encouraging results. Continuing on a positive trajectory depends on dedicated partnership with everyone who touches this new law — from the legislators who drafted it to the agencies that support it to the law enforcement partners and the courts who will enforce it.

Q: What are actions the state has taken to address juvenile crime that aren’t readily apparent to the public?

A: I think it’s important for people to understand that a lot of our work isn’t just about laws and executive action. It’s about building more durable partnerships that will ensure we can share information, coordinate our work and deliver results together. We have made a concerted effort to build new bonds of trust and communication between the governor’s office and other corners of society. It’s part of our obligation as public servants.

When it comes to issues related to our justice system, you need to look at all of the stakeholders involved – from local law enforcement to families to state services to legislator, to probation officers to state’s attorneys and beyond. One of the things we are prioritizing is how we rebuild communication and trust between all parts of Maryland to ensure we are holding both our children and ourselves accountable. That partnership is going to pay dividends in the long run.

Partnership produces progress, and I believe you can connect the partnerships we’ve been able to build over the last few months with the results we are already seeing on the ground. As I mentioned earlier in our conversation, preliminary data tells us that juvenile homicides are down statewide 23% year-to-date. Juvenile non-fatal shootings are down 43% statewide. Juvenile auto thefts are down by 11% across the state. And I will say it again: those kinds of data-backed results don’t happen “just because.” They happen because we make the choice to work together.

Q: Will you commit to introducing stronger legislation or a new juvenile crime package during the upcoming legislative session?

A: When we say we want to take an all-of-the-above approach to public safety, we mean all of the above. As elected officials, we have a number of tools in our toolbox — from executive orders, to targeted investments, to new programs and, yes, to legislation too. Our team has been studying all of the tools at our disposal since day one, and we’ve already proven that we are willing to use them in partnership. We will continue to move in coordination with our legislative partners — and anyone else who is committed to this work — to ensure that our communities are safe.

In order to have a productive conversation and strategy related to juvenile crime, we can’t simply look at the issue from a single angle. We need to be thinking holistically. That has been our approach and that will continue to be the standard as we move forward.

Q: It’s been reported, since calls for Secretary Schiraldi’s resignation have increasingly grown over the past week, that the two of you have met. What did you say to him?

A: I meet with my secretaries all of the time. Secretary Schiraldi and I, along with other members of our cabinet and executive team overseeing public safety, regularly discuss how to make our communities safer, how to make our state more prosperous, and how to build on the record we’ve established. Building safer and stronger communities is a goal that everyone in our administration stands for and believes in, including Secretary Schiraldi.

Q: What challenges did you find when taking over state government and how have you gone about addressing them?

A: Before we took office, the executive liked to pick fights with legislators in the pages of the paper instead of having real debates in the halls of the state House, especially on issues of public safety. Our predecessors would also pick fights with our state’s largest city, hampering coordination between the state and local law enforcement. All the while, the former head of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services returned more than $130 million over 8 years and closed five facilities, taking away needed resources. The result wasn’t just a lack of effective policy — it was a serious erosion of trust that ultimately made the public less safe.

We’ve decided to move differently, and I think our state is going to be better because of it. We continue to sit down with members of the Maryland General Assembly, law enforcement and leaders from across Maryland to discuss how we improve public safety in partnership. This administration isn’t going to sit on the sidelines and point out problems without doing anything. We are going to get in the game, convene key stakeholders and be an active part of the solution. That means signing legislation into law. That means restoring trust in government, and that means delivering results for the people of Maryland.

Our partners are critical in that work. The Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging Best Practices, which we announced on Thursday, is a product of the Juvenile Justice Reform bill I signed this year. The Commission will bring together a diverse array of perspectives to evaluate policies, programs and facilities that serve our justice-involved youth. Working with other top leaders — from the attorney general and our state’s attorneys, to local law enforcement, to village elders — we’re wholly invested in making the system work more effectively and doing it in partnership.

Q: What does Nov. 1 mean to you? What would this juvenile justice revolution mean for Maryland residents and beyond?

A: You know, I’m proud that today is here because today was hard fought. We came in and said that the key hallmark for this administration and for that legislative session was to increase accountability, and specifically when it comes to these repeat violent offenders and making sure that we’re doing what we need to do to keep our community safe. We knew we were coming off of a year where we had some good results in our first year of office, but I said, ‘That’s not enough. We’ve got to keep building.’ It took work, but we were able to build a bill that got bipartisan support — Democrat and Republican support — and where people said that there were adjustments that needed to be made.

You will continue to see increased accountability. You’ll continue to see increased coordination between the local law enforcement and our state’s attorneys and DJS, and our state’s attorneys and the U.S. attorney. And when information can get turned over and processed, you will see increasing accountability. For people who think that they can do whatever it is they want to do without measurements of accountability, those days are long gone.

I’m really proud of the fact that these laws are now being enacted because this took work and that’s exactly what was required. That’s exactly the kind of thing that’s going to be necessary in order for us to continue producing the results that this administration is beginning to produce.

Armstrong Williams ([e-mail]; X: @arightside) is part owner of The Baltimore Sun.