BALTIMORE, Md. (WBFF) — After a recent report from the Office of Inspector General from Baltimore City about a juvenile diversion program indicated a lack of data management, the city’s top prosecutor warned legal action may be next.
The report was about SideStep, which is run through the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, MONSE. It’s a youth diversion program that was piloted in 2022 in partnership with the Baltimore Police Department in the Western Police District. The goal was to prevent young people between 10- and 17-years-old accused of certain crimes from going through the criminal justice system and instead, provide them with various programming.
While the report indicated MONSE spent nearly $25,000 on an evaluation, the agency “did not provide the Evaluator with access” to SideStep participants or families. City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he too has had a difficult time getting access to information about young people involved in the program from City Hall…