Maryland's system of delivering services to youth adjudicated delinquent has been a disaster. For years, our State has ranked among the lowest in the nation on rates of recidivism and wasting of resources. Our State has had a number of well-documented and high profile miscues including beating of youth within state facilities and the advent of 'fight clubs.' Our own Independent Monitor has detailed scores of problems in our system, and the Department of Justice has slapped our State for its inadequacies.
In the 2003 Session, then Delegate Bobby Zirkin was appointed Chairman of the Subcommittee on Juvenile Law on the House Judiciary Committee. In 2003 and 2004, Delegate Zirkin worked across party lines to address the crisis in Maryland's child welfare systems in a comprehensive way. In the 2004 Session, Zirkin introduced a package of five major bills dealing with the Reorganization and Regionalization of Juvenile Services, the State takeover of all DJS facilities for education services, Group Home reform, placement within the Child Welfare system, and DJS Aftercare. Although several of the actual bills were not passed into law, Delegate Zirkin was able to pass much of the substance of his legislation.
In the 2005 Session, once again proposed a significant package of comprehensive reform based on the successful Missouri model. Zirkin believes that only with a state-run, well-funded system of regional facilities, where kids are treated in locations of no more than 24-48 beds, can our system move beyond its current failure. Zirkin believes that the first issue to be resolved is the what he has termed a 'structural failure' in DJS. Currently, Maryland has large failing institutions like the Charles Hickey School at one end, and an array of unaccountable private providers at the other. Zirkin believes that what Maryland lacks is the successful Missouri structure of small regional facilities where kids are treated based on their specific emotional needs.
In 2007, Bobby tackled issues of public safety including intense work in the area of juvenile justice, sex offenders, gangs, and identity theft. With the support of Governor O’Malley, the Assembly was able to pass sweeping legislation that had previously stalled. Legislation was passed creating a regional approach to juvenile services utilizing wilderness-based secure treatment facilities, mandating outcomes evaluations for the use of data-driven policy, upgrading standards for direct care staff, expanding the role of the Office of the Independent Monitor, and mandating the use of volunteer mentors.
Other major legislation in the area of public safety included “Jessica’s Law” which provides for a 25 year mandatory minimum sentence without the possibility of parole for certain sex offenses, enhanced penalties for gang-related activity, mandatory pre-sentence investigations in certain child sex offense crimes, felony child abuse, and consumer protections in the area of identity theft.
