MARYLAND - Governor Wes Moore signed legislation Thursday changing how Maryland handles the supervision and detention of minors who commit serious crimes.
House Bill 814, aimed at reducing youth crime rates in Maryland, addresses provisions relating to law enforcement taking children into custody, juvenile sex offenders, and establishes the Governor’s Office for Children, among others.
The Department of Juvenile Services is also given the ability to charge children as young as 10 for certain crimes such as gun possession under the new law. Previously, the minimum age was 13. Juveniles who commit felonies can now also be placed on probation for a period of two years with a possible extension of three additional years if a juvenile fails to meet requirements such as attending substance abuse or mental health treatment.
Among the advocates for the legislation was State Senator Mary Beth Carozza, who represents Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties.
“This is an important step forward to address the increase in juvenile crime across Maryland, and some of the ideas in the bipartisan anti-crime package that I co-sponsored were included in the final legislation,” said Carozza. “I will continue to push for real accountability and consequences for violent juveniles and repeat serious offenders.”
The new juvenile justice reforms signed Thursday follow an increased call to repeal previous reforms passed in 2022, which law enforcement argued greatly impeded their ability to address youth gun violence. Governor Moore has previously distanced himself from those reforms, passed before his tenure.
