UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (DC News Now) — Changes to a law impacting the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services aim to hold children as young as 10 years accountable for crimes they commit.
The new law was passed in April but goes into effect Friday.
The changes come as many people say it’s concerning that juveniles who commit these crimes are sent straight home because of their age and that’s what led lawmakers to make some changes to the juvenile justice system.
“Our job is to correct them and get them on the right path,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
Starting November 1st, children age 10 and older will be held accountable for their crimes.
“No one likes prosecuting young kids, but I also look at it as an opportunity to meaningfully intervene in their lives, to figure out what went wrong and then try to help fix it,” said Braveboy.
This comes as more children are committing “delinquent acts” that adults would normally be prosecuted for including carjackings, animal cruelty and even a third-degree sex offense.
The changes also require any child who is charged with stealing a car to receive a “children in need of supervision” petition and that includes qualifying for a variety of services to help them.
“When you stick a gun in someone’s face, when you steal someone’s car, when you commit acts of violence, then there has to be consequences…. I know that ultimately they are going to have access to programs, to mentorship opportunities, to family counseling, counseling, to individualized counseling that they may need to grow and be better people,” she said.
The law also allows local state attorneys to review complaints and case files of children charged with a crime under juvenile services supervision.
Not everyone agrees with the changes, many believe putting 10-12-year-olds in the system will do more harm than good.
Braveboy said it’s about giving them the help they need so they don’t commit another crime in the future.
“[It’s not] a license for us just to lock every young child up, but it was an opportunity for us to say, look, something’s going on with this child. They need to be held accountable in the juvenile system, and we need to provide services to them and require them to complete those services and programs before they can, come back into the community,” she said.
The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office does have services for families that may be having a difficult time with their child that can help them before they end up in the system.
