Testimony to Maryland Juvenile Justice Reform Council on Trends Charging Children As Adults
The Sentencing Project strongly encourages the Juvenile Justice Reform Council to adopt recommendations [based on research and public safety] that will ensure all children start in juvenile court, and that cases are reviewed on an individual basis by a judge before determining they should be sent to adult court.
Related to: Youth Justice, State Advocacy
Maryland is second only to Alabama in the rate at which it sends children to adult court for criminal prosecution. On July 20, 2021, The Sentencing Project’s Marcy Mistrett testified before the Maryland Juvenile Justice Reform Council (JJRC) on national trends in charging children as adults and why it’s imperative children are treated as children. The Sentencing Project strongly encourages the JJRC to adopt recommendations [based on research and public safety] that will ensure all children start in juvenile court, and that cases are reviewed on an individual basis by a judge before determining they should be sent to adult court.
