OUTGOING GOV. Parris N. Glendening made some overdue changes to the state's juvenile justice system, and Gov.-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has vowed to reform it.
Here's his chance.
At the urging of the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition, the abusive Victor Cullen Academy was closed and there is stricter oversight of Department of Juvenile Justice facilities. In addition, a consolidated grant process prompted local jurisdictions to create community-based programs for at-risk youths.
But there are many unfinished tasks and critical problems that must be addressed immediately by the incoming Ehrlich administration:
Children are not safe. Despite promises that its decrepit buildings would be razed, the Cheltenham Youth Facility in Prince George's County is still standing, still overcrowded and still very dangerous. Two staff members recently were suspended for running "fight clubs" that pitted Baltimore and Prince George's County youths against each other.
Further, children languish for months without treatment pending placement in an appropriate program. Now is the time to satisfy clear directives from the General Assembly and commitments from the outgoing administration that Cheltenham would be drastically downsized and restructured as a much more functional and humane regional facility.
Children in state juvenile facilities are not receiving an adequate education and are confronted with real barriers when they are released and try to re-enroll in their local schools.
Minorities, particularly African-American and Latino males, are still grossly over-represented at every punitive stage of the process and underrepresented in treatment services and rehabilitative programs.
The Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, a large, purportedly multiservice juvenile detention facility that is to open shortly, could be nothing more than a 144-bed maximum security cage for troubled youths unless the Department of Juvenile Justice commits to limiting the number of beds filled and ensuring that appropriate youth assessments and services are provided.
Some of these problems require legislative changes, but most can be eliminated with changes in budget allocation and public policy. The incoming administration has an excellent opportunity to lead and improve the way youths in trouble are treated.
