Juvenile Services highlights Thrive Academy, expanded community programs and data gaps; DLS questions funding and facility plan

Madeline Miller of the Department of Legislative Services presented the Department of Juvenile Services fiscal 2026 analysis, and Secretary of Juvenile Services testified on program expansions, data issues, and proposals for residential and community investments.

Miller said the department's fiscal 2026 budget increases about $22.6 million to $369.3 million, with roughly 45% of the growth attributable to personnel costs. The DLS analysis detailed juvenile arrest and complaint trends (total arrests down 38.6% over five years with an 11.9% increase between calendar 2022 and 2023), changes in nonresidential and residential populations, and increased average length of stay for certain detained groups. Miller also noted several budget actions and proposed deficiencies including overtime funding, IT security upgrades and adjustments related to MD THINK and CJAMS case-management systems. DLS recommended deleting a $3 million general fund appropriation proposed to reopen the Catoctin treatment center because the facility did not appear in the department's facilities master plan, and recommended reducing the enhanced services continuum appropriation by $4.2 million given limited evidence of program effectiveness to date.

Secretary Colette Schiraldi (identified in testimony as the department's secretary) told the subcommittee DJS has expanded community-based programming and launched the Thrive Academy targeted to the highest-risk youth for gun violence. She said Thrive participants in the pilot counties (Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County) have experienced breaks in the most severe outcomes described by the department: "None of the kids on Thrive Academy have been killed. Two percent have been shot. Four out of five have not been rearrested for a new gun crime," she said. The Secretary said independent evaluations are planned by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland.

Schiraldi described a "safer stronger together" initiative (a multidepartment community investment effort with the Department of Human Services and DPSCS) piloted in Salisbury, Hagerstown and East Baltimore, with Prince George's County to follow. She said the department has issued mini-RFPs to fund community-selected interventions and that advisory boards in each site are prioritizing projects intended to reduce shootings and community harms.

The department also reported operational steps to reduce pending-placement wait times by opening pending placement units at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center and the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center; the department said these units enable youth to begin evidence-based therapies while awaiting placement. Secretary Schiraldi reported there are approximately 33 youth in pending placement units and that 351 unique youths passed through those units over the course of the year.

On data and IT systems, Miller and the Secretary discussed CJAMS, MD THINK and ASSIST. DLS asked DJS to explain insufficient data collection on strategic reentry measures in fiscal 2024 and to provide recidivism rates within 1, 2 and 3 years. The Secretary acknowledged shortcomings in historical data collection and described a research and case-management workgroup and an upcoming sprint with DoIT to determine next steps on case-management systems.

Madeline Miller's report also noted high vacancy counts—227.5 vacancies as of Dec. 31 with 66.5 vacant more than a year—and DLS asked DJS to assess the operational impact of the high vacancy rates. Secretary Schiraldi said vacancy rates have improved and said frontline facility vacancy rates fell substantially since she took office. She opposed DLS recommendations to cut the enhanced services continuum and to delete the $3 million for a drug treatment facility, saying the state needs additional residential drug-treatment capacity and that the department is exploring options, including contracting with providers and working with the Department of Health.

Liz Park of the Maryland Association of Youth Service Bureaus testified in support of DJS's expansion and urged state investment in youth service bureaus that provide early-intervention, school-based and family services. She said the number of state-funded youth service bureaus has declined from 21 historically to five today and asked the committee to consider funding to revive local prevention capacity.