Over 1,000 Kids Charged as Adults Last Year—Maryland Senate Weighs Major Reform

Annapolis, MD – Today the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee held a hearing on The Youth Charging Reform Act (Senate Bill 323/House Bill 409). This legislation would reform components of Maryland’s practice of automatically charging certain youth as if they are adults based solely on the offense charged at arrest.

In 2025 alone, Maryland charged more than 1,000 youth as adults, most of whom were subject to automatic charging based solely on the arrest offense. In 55% of cases, those youth were later transferred to juvenile court after judicial review, underscoring how frequently automatic charging overrides individualized decision-making at the outset.  As with the adult system, youth of color are disproportionately impacted by this policy– between 2009 and 2024, 80% of Maryland youth charged as adults were Black.

Sponsored by Senator William C. Smith  (District 20), Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and Delegate J. Sandy Bartlett (District 32), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, The Youth Charging Reform Act seeks to address these inequities by eliminating automatic adult charging for children ages 14 and 15 while narrowing the list of offenses that trigger automatic adult charges for youth ages 16 and 17. By restoring judicial discretion earlier in the process, this legislation promotes a more informed and equitable youth justice system.

“Maryland is an outlier in the way that we charge children as adults first and ask questions later. We are doing our children a huge disservice because pretrial detention of a child charged as an adult results in 23-24 hours a day of restrictive housing formerly called solitary confinement,” said bill sponsor Delegate J. Sandy Bartlett. “No education, no behavioral therapy. Nothing but time to sit in a cage. This is inhumane and we can do better.”

Reverend Dr. Marlon Tilghman of The Maryland Youth Justice Coalition stated: “Keeping children and communities safe should be our highest priority. That’s why we must improve laws for teenagers facing adult criminal charges. Maryland’s juvenile justice system is designed to hold teens accountable by providing them with tools and resources to change their behavior and avoid future involvement in the criminal legal system. Yet every year, hundreds of kids are placed in the adult criminal justice system instead. And every year, judges decide to have 87% of these cases sent to juvenile court, dismissed, or granted probation.”

“Youth charged as if they are adults are more likely to reoffend than those handled in the juvenile justice system. Research consistently shows that prosecuting youth in adult court increases the likelihood of future offending. We know that charging youth as adults harms youth wellbeing and community safety,” said Olivia Naugle, youth justice campaign strategist at The Sentencing Project.

“Automatically charging young people as adults undermines public safety by deepening inequities, increasing disenfranchisement, and perpetuating cycles of harm,” said Lydia Watts, executive director of Rebuild, Overcome and Rise (ROAR) Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. “SB 323 moves Maryland toward a more just, evidence-based approach—one that recognizes both the needs of survivors and the developmental realities of youth.”

“As Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, I am proud that youth charging reform is a Caucus priority. Communities of color have borne the brunt of policies that push children into the adult criminal system without improving outcomes,” said Delegate N. Scott Phillips (District 10). “ This legislation is about fairness, data, and using our resources where they actually make a difference.”

The House companion bill, HB 409, is scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

About The Maryland Youth Justice Coalition

The Maryland Youth Justice Coalition is a diverse array of organizations dedicated to preventing children and adolescents from involvement with the legal system, upholding the highest standards of care when youth enter the legal system, and ensuring a platform for system-involved youth and their families to be heard. For more information visit: https://www.mdyouthjustice.org/

About The Sentencing Project

The Sentencing Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing incarceration and addressing racial disparities in the criminal legal system. For over 35 years, the organization has advocated for effective policies and practices that promote a more equitable and humane justice system.