Drinan: The Public Safety Case for Youth Justice Reform in Maryland

As three youth justice reform bills sit before the Maryland legislature, the time is now for lawmakers to heed the science that tell us “kids are different.” If passed, these bills would improve outcomes for youth in the criminal system, but equally important, they’d make Maryland residents safer. Specifically, these bills would require police to notify parents before questioning a child in custody; ensure kids get a judicial hearing before their cases are moved to adult court; ban incarceration for kids who violate technical terms of their probation; and create more youth diversion opportunities, among other measures.