One caseworker who was responsible for 64 youths had a dozen cases with "urgent" problems, the documents show. The caseworker had no contact with those youths, including one who is a sex offender and one who is labeled as a "top 10" priority case, meaning he is likely to commit another crime.
Another caseworker was responsible for 66 youths. Among them was Tavon Burks, a 16-year-old fatally shot March 11 in Pimlico.
When a caseworker in the same office went on extended leave, a supervisor picked up her cases in addition to overseeing other caseworkers. That supervisor was responsible for Farron Tates, who went on to be charged as an adult with murder.
But DJS employees say that it is unfair to blame them when larger issues - such as poor training, heavy workload and improper supervision - are unresolved.
A caseworker who has been with the department for decades said she was demoted when a youth whose case she handled was killed on the streets of Baltimore. She asked not to be identified because DJS did not authorize her to speak publicly.
The teenager was among more than 50 she was supervising at the time and, she said, was one of her more cooperative charges.
When she saw his name in the police blotter, she said she was devastated. He'd apparently been the random victim of a robbery that turned fatal.
"You work with a kid and their family and there's a certain attachment," she said.
Then, when she was demoted - she said because of that incident - she was furious. Because personnel records are private, it was not possible to verify the reason for her demotion.
"How are you supposed to prevent a kid like that from being killed?" she asked. "Am I supposed to put on my cape?"
Although she was demoted, she said, her caseload had not decreased.
julie.bykowicz@baltsun.com
