Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform & Emerging & Best Practices
Commission Responsibilities
Section 9-3502 of the Maryland State Government Article, as amended by Chapter 735 of the Acts of 2024 (House Bill 814 - PDF - 959.58 KB), established the responsibilities of the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best Practices.
The Commission is responsible for:
- Evaluating programs and services for children provided by state, local, and community-based agencies.
- Identifying emerging and effective practices in juvenile justice.
- Monitoring key juvenile justice services, processes, and outcomes.
- Developing recommendations to strengthen programs and services for children throughout Maryland.
Reports and Recommendations
The Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best Practices has issued its first formal recommendation in the report, Maryland's JJDPA Compliance Crisis: Children in Adult Detention. The report includes recommendations to improve Maryland's compliance with federal juvenile justice requirements and strengthen the fairness and effectiveness of the state's juvenile justice system.
The recommendations support the Commission's statutory responsibilities, including reviewing wait times for placing children in appropriate facilities and recommending policies and programs to improve juvenile justice services in Maryland.
Under § 9-3502(h) of the Maryland State Government Article, the Commission must submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly by October 1, 2025, and by October 1 each year thereafter.
The Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best Practices Commission 2025 Report presents the Commission's findings and recommendations and reflects Maryland's commitment to a developmentally appropriate, community-based, and equitable juvenile justice system.
Membership
Officers:
- Andre M. Davis (Chair) – Former Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Liz Park (Vice Chair) – Director, Greenbelt CARES
- Eric N. Ford (Secretary) – Executive Director, The Shriver Center at UMBC
Members:
- April Adams – Parent Member; Family Partner – Behavioral Health Specialist, Caroline, Dorchester, & Talbot Counties, The Parents’ Place of Maryland
- Donald L. Baker, Jr. – Sheriff, Caroline County
- Nate Balis – Director, Juvenile Justice Strategy Group, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Sandy Bartlett – Delegate, District 32, Anne Arundel County
- Sean Aaron Betsinger – Research Assistant Professor, The Institute for Innovation and Implementation at UMD School of Social Work
- Alycia Capozello – Deputy District Public Defender, Baltimore City Public Defender
- Nick Charles – Senator, District 25, Prince George’s County
- Donna L. Christy – President, Prince George’s County Educator’s Association
- Arntice Crowder-Nickerson – Community Detention Officer, Department of Juvenile Services
- Aubrey Edwards-Luce – Executive Director, Center for Families Children Courts
- Russell Hamill – Chief, Laurel Police Department
- Denise Henderson – Youth Transportation Officer, Department of Juvenile Services; President, AFSCME Local 3167
- Eunice Yarahi Humphrey – Instructional Director for Prince George’s County Public Schools
- Susan Leviton – Professor Emeritus of Law, University of Maryland School of Law
- Rafael Lopez – Secretary, Department of Human Services
- Maria Virginia Navarro – Superintendent, Charles County Public Schools
- Scott Phillips – Delegate, District 10, Baltimore County
- Tanya Schwartz – Director, Urgent and Acute Care, Behavioral Health Administration, Maryland Department of Health
- Will Smith – Senator, District 20, Montgomery County
- Bethany Lauren Strong – Acute Care Surgery Attending, Medical Director for CAP-VIP, University of Maryland Capital Region Health
- Gabrielle Wallace – Youth Member; Student, Towson University
- Lara Weathersbee – Associate Judge, Howard County Circuit Court, 5th Judicial Circuit
- Carlotta Woodward – Chief, Juvenile Court Division, Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office