The Secretary serves on the Governor's Executive Council; the Governor's Subcabinet for Children, Youth, and Families; the Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism; the Cabinet Council on Criminal and Juvenile Justice; the State Board of Victim Services; the Work Force Investment Board; the Institutional Educator Pay Plan Committee; and the Interdepartmental Advisory Committee for Minority Affairs.
Within the Office of the Secretary are Administration; Capital Planning; Policy, Legislation, and Research; and Support Services; as well as units for community outreach, fair practices and risk management, professional development, and legal counsel. Under the Secretary, the Department is organized into three divisions: Field Services; Program Services; and Residential Services.
The Board consists of eighteen members appointed by the Governor to three-year terms. The Governor names the chair (Code 1957, Art. 83C, secs. 2-106 through 2-110).
COMMISSION ON JUVENILE JUSTICE JURISDICTION
FEMALE POPULATION TASK FORCE
Under Administration are Budget and Finance; Information Technology; and Personnel Management.
BUDGET & FINANCE
Budget and Finance seeks funding for the special needs of children. It started in 1992, when the Department began participating in federal funding initiatives. Under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, the State receives federal funds to maintain eligible children in foster care (P.L. 96-272).
From February to September 1995, the Emergency Services to Families with Children Program reimbursed the State for emergency services provided to needy families in crisis (Social Security Act, Title IV-A; federal Regulation 45CFR233.120). These social services responded to family emergencies that threatened or endangered children. When federal funding stopped, the State program ceased.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
To administer intake, probation, and aftercare for delinquent youth, the State is divided into five areas with local field offices serving each county and Baltimore City. Youths who break the law or exhibit uncontrollable behavior enter the juvenile justice system through these local offices.
Youths may be referred to the local office of juvenile justice by law enforcement agencies, other government agencies, parents, or concerned citizens. Following referral, an intake officer assesses the youth and determines the most appropriate course of action. The intake officer may: recommend formal court proceedings; place the youth on voluntary informal supervision for up to 90 days; dismiss the youth with a warning; or disapprove a case for insufficient evidence.
Through intake services, the Division decides for each minor whether court proceedings are appropriate. The Division also recommends to the court whether adjudicated delinquents be placed on probation, in a day or residential program, or committed to the Charles H. Hickey, Jr., School. During probation and throughout the youth's stay at a residential facility or the Hickey School, the Division maintains contact with a juvenile's case manager. Youth are monitored in a similar fashion after their release.
The Program Services Division helps develop, implement, and monitor programs provided by private contractors to youth under the care and custody of the Department. The Division places youth in residential and nonresidential programs, coordinates substance abuse services, licenses and certifies service providers to the Department, obtains grants, and develops programs eligible for funding through federal entitlement.
Under the Division are four programs: Grants and Program Development; Placement Services; Standards and Compliance; amd Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
As part of the intake process, most minors entering the juvenile justice system are screened for alcohol and drug abuse at a Department field office in their county or Baltimore City. Field offices refer youth to public and private, inpatient and outpatient treatment. Youths detained while awaiting trial are assessed for drug and alcohol addiction by a counselor who may recommend treatment. Most facilities that receive youth upon court order offer treatment. Some have drug and alcohol treatment components, while others are dedicated to young addicts. Youth on probation are referred to outpatient services at local health departments. In Baltimore City, most youth continue to receive treatment for drug and alcohol abuse after release from a Department residential facility.
To ensure compliance with contracts and federal and State regulations, Standards and Compliance oversees those private firms licensed or certified by the Department to provide residential and nonresidential services for troubled youth. For each program, this office develops an annual monitoring plan. Staff then visit each site to check physical plants; conduct investigations; verify any corrective acts taken to comply with State and federal regulations; interview staff and students; and observe programs.
Residential programs are licensed by the Department every two years. On the off-year, Standards and Compliance audits each program and issues a report for each facility.
VICTOR CULLEN ACADEMY
Opened in September 1992, Victor Cullen Academy is a secure commitment facility for delinquent boys in northwest Frederick County. The Academy is a State facility operated by a private firm under contract with the Department.
Cullen Academy treats up to 184 teenage boys who stay an average of six months. It offers intensive vocational education. A thoroughbred horse-breeding program prepares youth for employment in the State's racing industry. A six-week culinary arts class readies graduates for jobs in restaurants and hotels, and with catering firms.
The Academy's origins date to 1908 when the State Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients was established on the site. Placed under the Department of Health, the Sanatorium was renamed in 1949 as Victor Cullen State Hospital after Victor F. Cullen, M.D., a former member of the State Board of Health. The Hospital was reorganized in 1965 as the Victor Cullen School, a training or reform school for boys under the State Department of Public Welfare (Chapter 818, Acts of 1965). The School was transferred in 1967 to the Juvenile Services Administration, and in 1974, as the Victor Cullen Center, to what became the Developmental Disabilities Administration of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Center closed in 1991, reopened under the Department of Juvenile Services as the Victor Cullen Academy in 1992, and since 1995 has continued under the Department of Juvenile Justice.
CHARLES H. HICKEY, JR., SCHOOL
The Charles H. Hickey, Jr., School began in 1850 as the House of Refuge on Frederick Avenue in Baltimore City (Chapter 374, Acts of 1849). It was an early effort to separate children from adult criminals in jails. Renamed the Maryland School for Boys, it moved in 1910 to its present site near Loch Raven in northern Baltimore County. In 1918, it became Maryland Training School for Boys (Chapter 300, Acts of 1918). Adopted in 1985, the School's present name honors a former Baltimore County sheriff (Chapter 245, Acts of 1985).
For youth awaiting trial, the Hickey School is a detention center. For young people committed by the court, it is a training school. Short-term commitment is provided for less serious offenses; longer incarceration, for more serious or multiple offenses. The School cares for and treats some 300 delinquent boys and young men, ages 15 to 17, from across the State (Code 1957, Art. 83C, sec. 2-117). Since September 1991, the School has been run by private firms under contract with the Department.
O'FARRELL YOUTH CENTER
From its opening in 1986, O'Farrell Youth Center has been operated by private firms under contract with the Department. The Center is located in Carroll County.
The Center treats drug dealers and juveniles, including violent youth, who have committed crimes against people and property. It holds up to forty boys, chronic offenders, ages 13 to 18. They stay an average of nine months in a secure residential facility.
The Center's program promotes responsible behavior. Upon discharge, former residents participate in a six-month program to help them avoid crime after rejoining the community. A set of goals is defined for each youth. Usually, this involves a job, school, or work study leading to a high school diploma. Getting along with parents and siblings is another common aim, while some seek outpatient counseling or treatment. Progress in meeting goals is monitored and may involve participation by the supervising case manager.
The Division oversees State residential facilities and their programs for youth committed or detained by the court. Serving committed juveniles are two community-based residences in Baltimore City and five youth centers in Western Maryland. Four detention centers hold minors awaiting trial or disposition. The Division also supervises a community detention program. In addition, the Division is responsible statewide for transporting youth between court and State facilities.
Committed Programs. For youth committed by the courts, Committed and Detention Programs runs seven residential facilities. They are the Maryland Youth Residence Center and the William Donald Schaefer House in Baltimore City, and five Youth Centers in Western Maryland.
Detention Programs. They consist of four centers that hold minors awaiting trial or placement in a residential program. These youth are either alleged or adjudicated delinquents. Some are quite young. They require detention, that is, locked confinement, because they pose a danger to themselves or others, need close supervision, or might leave the jurisdiction of the court. These centers are J. DeWeese Carter Center; Cheltenham Youth Facility; Alfred D. Noyes Children's Center; and Thomas J. S. Waxter Children's Center.
MARYLAND YOUTH RESIDENCE CENTER
The Maryland Youth Residence Center opened in 1972 as a residence for delinquent boys committed by the court. In June 1994, it was converted to a shelter care facility for up to thirty boys, ages 12 to 18. Boys who need supervision but are not deemed dangerous are housed here while they await a court hearing or placement in another residence. The Center provides them with education; recreation; medical services; and individual, group and family counseling. The Center also houses up to twelve boys, ages 16 to 18, who attend the Living Classroom Program. The Program's vocational education prepares them for employment in maritime trades.
WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER HOUSE
Opened in 1972, the Group Home for Boys was renamed for Governor William Donald Schaefer in April 1992. Its program is designed for young men, ages 14 to 18, with a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Located in a residential community, the House prepares them for independent living. Upon release, youth enter community treatment programs for their addictions.
YOUTH CENTERS
The Department of Juvenile Justice operates five Youth Centers in Western Maryland. Youth Centers serve older boys committed by various State courts and jurisdictions or transferred from the Charles H. Hickey, Jr., School (Chapter 370, Acts of 1955). To be eligible for transfer to a youth center, boys must be at least 14 years of age and in good physical health. At Youth Centers, they live and work outdoors. Group activities are stressed, including group counseling and discussion, and working well in groups is an important goal of treatment.
The Youth Centers began in 1955 as Boys Forestry Camps. They were renamed Youth Centers by the Board of Public Works on September 20, 1977. The Centers and the Washington County Holdover Facility are administered in Cumberland (Code 1957, Art. 83C, sec. 2-117).
In response to a federal initiative to move minors out of jails for adults, Maryland erected two holdover facilities in the late 1970s. One closed in 1991 due to cost containment. The Washington County Holdover Facility, however, still confines alleged or adjudicated juvenile delinquents. Detention in a holdover facility is limited to less than 72 hours.
In 1964, the General Assembly appropriated funds to establish a forestry camp at Backbone Mountain in Garrett County with room for thirty-five boys (Chapter 159, Acts of 1964). The Camp opened in May 1966. It was renamed Backbone Mountain Youth Center in 1977.
GREEN RIDGE YOUTH CENTER
In May 1955, Green Ridge Youth Center started as Green Ridge Forestry Camp for Boys in Allegany County. Originally, the Camp was run by the State Department of Public Welfare in cooperation with the State Department of Forests and Parks. In 1977, the Camp was renamed Green Ridge Youth Center. Located outside of Flintstone, the Center accommodates thirty-five boys.
MAPLE RUN YOUTH CENTER
The 1965 General Assembly appropriated funds to establish a forestry camp at Maple Run in the Green Ridge State Forest, Allegany County (Chapter 743, Acts of 1965). The Camp opened in April 1967 with facilities for thirty-five boys. The Camp was renamed Maple Run Youth Center in 1977.
In rural Kent County, the J. DeWeese Carter Center is a secure detention facility for fifteen youths, from as young as age 9 to as old as age 18. The Center provides emergency detention facilities to the nine counties of the Eastern Shore (Code 1957, Art. 83C, sec. 2-117). Opened in August 1982, it was named for Judge J. DeWeese Carter (1904-1977), who served on the Court of Special Appeals from 1971 to 1973.
CHELTENHAM YOUTH FACILITY
The Cheltenham Youth Facility originated in 1870 as the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children (Chapter 392, Acts of 1870). In 1937, it became the Cheltenham School for Boys (Chapter 70, Acts of 1937). The School was renamed Boys' Village of Maryland in 1949 (Chapter 692, Acts of 1949). In May 1991, a unit for girls was transferred to the facility from the Charles H. Hickey, Jr., School. Boys' Village of Maryland was renamed Cheltenham Youth Facility in 1992 (Chapter 8, Acts of 1992).
In Prince George's County, Cheltenham consists of several cottages on a semi-rural campus. The Facility provides for the care and detention of some 125 youths, from as young as age 12 to as old as age 18, awaiting trial or court disposition from Baltimore City, and Prince George's, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties (Code 1957, Art. 83C, sec. 2-117). The young women's program offers secure commitment for up to twenty-eight girls who stay an average of five and a half months. It is the only incarceration program for female juvenile offenders in the State. Another program shelters twenty delinquent youth who need supervision but are not deemed dangerous to themselves or others.
ALFRED D. NOYES CHILDREN'S CENTER
The Alfred D. Noyes Children's Center was authorized in 1970 (Chapter 101, Acts of 1970; Chapter 179, Acts of 1972, as modified in the General Construction Loan Act of 1974). The Center was named for Alfred D. Noyes, who was the Judge for Juvenile Causes in Montgomery County at the time of the Center's creation.
Opened in September 1977, the Center is a secure regional detention and evaluation facility for youths from Montgomery and western Maryland counties. Located in a semi-urban part of Montgomery County, it can serve forty young people, from as young as age 8 to as old as age 18 (Code 1957, Art. 83C, sec. 2-117).
THOMAS J. S. WAXTER CHILDREN'S CENTER
Opened in November 1963, the Thomas J. S. Waxter Children's Center then was called the Southern Maryland Children's Center (Chapter 38, Acts of 1962). The Center was renamed in 1963 to honor Thomas J. S. Waxter, the Director of the State Department of Public Welfare from 1953 until his death in 1962. (Chapter 131, Acts of 1963).
The Waxter Children's Center is a facility for juvenile detention and evaluation. It houses some sixty-two minors from as young as age 8 to as old as age 14. Located in a semi-rural part of Anne Arundel County, the Center serves Anne Arundel and Howard counties, and Baltimore City, but also Prince George's and Baltimore counties (Code 1957, Art. 83C, sec. 2-117).
Educational Services receives funding from and is subject to rules and regulations of the State Department of Education. To receive federal funds, it provides special education that meets the needs of disadvantaged youth. Most facilities also offer vocational training.
Many youth entering Department facilities have behaved irresponsibly and face complex health problems, such as chronic untreated medical conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, illnesses related to drug or alcohol abuse, tuberculosis, teenage pregnancy, or a poor self-image. Health Services teaches youth to prevent disease and take responsibility for their health.
Health Services also provides clinical, managerial and administrative guidance to health service personnel in Department facilities and programs. The nurse manager at Health Services advises nurses at juvenile facilities on treatment. The nurse manager also tracks youth from one juvenile facility to another, monitoring their health care. For physicians who treat youth in the Department's care, and for pharmacy and medical laboratory services provided to these youth, Health Services writes and manages contracts. It also oversees intergovernmental agreements for health care to youth in Department facilities. In addition, Health Services monitors expenditures for services and organizes continuing education seminars for clinicians.
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STATE ADVISORY BOARD FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE
The State Advisory Board for Juvenile Justice started in 1966 as the State Advisory Board of Juvenile Services (Chapter 126, Acts of 1966). In 1987, it was renamed the State Advisory Board for Juvenile Services and, in 1995, received its present name (Chapter 290, Acts of 1987; Chapter 8, Acts of 1995). The Board recommends to the Secretary of Juvenile Justice policies and programs to improve State juvenile services. The Board helps plan development and use of resources and helps inform the public of the work of the Department.
The Commission on Juvenile Justice Jurisdiction will form effective October 1, 1998 (Chapter 464, Acts of 1998).
The Female Population Task Force was created by the Secretary of Juvenile Services in April 1992. The Task Force demographically defined young women offenders and devised a plan to improve services to them. A report issued in September 1993 contained the plan. Now, the Task Force monitors the implementation of its recommendations and serves as an advisory board for statewide issues concerning young women offenders.
ADMINISTRATION
Administration started as the Budget and Management Division in 1987. It was renamed the Administrative Services Division in 1990. The Division merged in 1992 with the Program Services Division to form the Administrative and Program Services Division. In 1996, program services were assigned to the Program Services Division and the office of Administration was created to manage administrative functions.
Budget and Finance began as Special Programs and was reorganized as Specialized Operations in 1996. Functions of Specialized Operations were absorbed by Budget and Finance in January 1997.
FIELD SERVICES DIVISION
The Field Services Division originated as the Court Services Division. It was reorganized in 1988 as the Direct Care Services Division and renamed the Field Services Division in 1989.
COMMUNITY DETENTION
For youth awaiting court trial or review, Community Detention is an alternative to incarceration. Juveniles may remain at home in their community under intensive supervision by daily face-to-face or telephone contact and through surveillance by electronic monitoring devices.
PROGRAM SERVICES DIVISION
In 1989, the Program Services Division was established as the Program Support Services Division. It became the Program Services Division in 1990. The Division merged in 1992 with the Administrative Services Division to form the Administrative and Program Services Division. In 1996, administrative services were assigned to Administration, under the Deputy Secretary, and the Division resumed its former name.
GRANTS & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Grants and Program Development was created as Program and Contract Development in October 1992 and received its present name in 1998. This unit delivers services efficiently from the private sector to juveniles in the custody and care of the Department.
PLACEMENT & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Placement and Resource Management secures placements for juveniles in residential and nonresidential programs. At area offices of juvenile justice throughout the State, the unit's resource coordinators meet with case managers to assess a child's needs for education, socialization, and health services and to determine which Department program best meets these needs while protecting public safety. The unit monitors the case until the minor is accepted into a program, and the placement and other services are funded.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Special Programs was formed in 1991 as Substance Abuse Program Services. In 1996, it was reorganized first as Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services and then as Special Services in October 1996. This unit oversees drug screening, referral, assessment, counseling, and treatment for juvenile offenders.
STANDARDS & COMPLIANCE
Standards and Compliance began as separate units for residential and nonresidential monitoring. These were combined as Residential and Nonresidential Monitoring in 1993. Later, in July 1993, the unit was renamed Program Monitoring and, in 1996, Standards and Compliance.
6000 Cullen Drive
Sabillasville, MD 21780
2400 Cub Hill Road
Baltimore, MD 21234
7960 Henryton Road
Marriottsville, MD 21103
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES DIVISION
The Residential Services Division started in 1987 as the Institution and Detention Services Division. It became the Facilities and Residential Services Division in 1989 and was reorganized as the Residential Services Division in 1992.
STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION
The Department of Juvenile Justice is responsible for transporting youth from the State facilities in which they reside to the courts and back again.COMMITTED & DETENTION PROGRAMS
Committed and Detention Programs began as Residential Programs and was reorganized as Committed Programs in 1992. It received its present name in 1996.
COMMITTED PROGRAMS
721 Woodbourne Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21212
907-909 Druid Park Lake Drive
Baltimore, MD 21217
Headquarters 326-328
Queen City Drive
Cumberland, MD 21501 - 1400
WASHINGTON COUNTY HOLDOVER FACILITY
201 North Jonathan St.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
BACKBONE MOUNTAIN YOUTH CENTER
Route 1
Swanton, MD 21562
P. O. Box 51
Fifteen Mile Creek Road
Flintstone, MD 21530 - 0051
P. O. Box 104
Jacobs Road
Flintstone, MD 21530 - 0104
DETENTION CENTERS
J. DeWEESE CARTER CENTER
P. O. Box 229
Scheeler Road
Chestertown, MD 21620 - 0229
P. O. Box 160
11001 Frank Tippett Road
Cheltenham, MD 20623 - 0160
9925 Blackwell Road
Rockville, MD 20850
375 Red Clay Road, SW
Laurel, MD 20724 - 9786
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Educational Services administers and supervises education programs for youth placed in detention and residential facilities of the Department. The unit offers instruction in English, math, science, social studies, physical education, music and art, remedial reading and math; and prepares students for the General Education Development (G.E.D.) test.
HEALTH SERVICES
Health Services coordinates and oversees health care for youth admitted to the Department's care and custody. Medical services include an assessment of immediate medical needs by a nurse, a physical examination and health history, immunizations, laboratory tests, dietary services, dental care, sick care, and emergency treatment.
Maryland Executive Departments
Maryland Manual On-Line