Flanked by key figures in the State House, democrats released a bill focused on getting tougher on juvenile crime.
“The simple truth is that the juvenile justice system is not working optimally to provide the best outcomes for children and families,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson from Baltimore city.
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Over the last year, much of the rhetoric surrounding the issues causing the increase in juvenile crime has been about the lack of punishment for repeat offenders and children not actually receiving the services they need.
This bill aims to stop that from happening.
“We need to make sure our kids are actually participating in the rehabilitative process,” said Senator Will Smith, from Montgomery County.
The bill lengthens probation for some crimes, shortens the intake time at the Department of Juvenile Services, requires law enforcement to create reports whenever a juvenile is picked up and lowers the age a child can be arrested for possessing a firearm to 10-years-old.