Ombudsman tells Judiciary Committee juvenile facilities show persistent sanitation, staffing and care failures
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Summary
The Maryland Correctional Ombudsman told the House Judiciary Committee that oversight findings show rodent infestations, expired food, medical responsiveness lapses and chronic staffing shortages at several Department of Juvenile Services facilities, and urged collaboration under SB 134 to fix conditions.
Maryland Correctional Ombudsman Yvonne Bradley Wilson told the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22 that recent monitoring of Department of Juvenile Services facilities has uncovered long‑standing problems with sanitation, medical care and staffing that threaten the safety and dignity of youth in state custody.
"We function with transparency, accountability, impartiality to ensure fairness, dignity, and humanity and respect for those in the care and custody within the state of Maryland," Wilson said, introducing a set of findings the office said stem from both facility conditions and gaps in DJS responsiveness.
The ombudsman and juvenile monitoring staff described repeated rodent and pest infestations at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center (BCJJC) and other sites, including reports that mice entered sleeping areas. Inspectors found expired items in food storage at Charles Hickey School and said some food‑service employees lacked required SafeServe certification. OCO also cited examples of delayed or inadequate medical responses — in one visit, staff reported a youth left in soiled clothing until an ombudsman intervened — and ongoing concerns about nursing bedside manner.
The office described broad staffing challenges: vacancies and overtime that undermine daily programming, insufficient training for one‑to‑one assignments with high‑risk youth, and gaps in interpreter services that left Hispanic youth unable to communicate because interpreters did not speak their language or were absent during shifts.
Wilson said the problems predate the current administration and that OCO has been pressing DJS for responses and remedial plans; she noted the blending of the juvenile monitoring unit into OCO followed passage of SB 134, which established the Office of the Correctional Ombudsman. OCO told lawmakers it had made recommendations in past reports — the ombudsman referenced a November 2025 report — including facility‑wide security assessments to identify and stop contraband and plans to address physical‑plant needs.
Committee members pressed for specifics, including whether menstrual‑hygiene incidents are treated as violations and what steps DJS has taken to eradicate infestations. OCO staff said individual incidents are handled case‑by‑case and described channels for families and legislators to submit confidential complaints to OCO. The office also called for more frequent collaboration and clearer status reporting so the legislature can track whether recommended fixes are completed.
The committee did not take formal action at the briefing. The ombudsman made written material available to members and offered to supply additional documentation on recommendations and facility remediation timelines.
