Maryland’s Department of Child Services Secretary speaks out about concerns about juvenile crime

WASHINGTON (7News) — In the wake of recent high-profile crimes involving juveniles, 7News On Your Side had the opportunity to ask Maryland Department of Child Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi about the handling of cases involving juveniles who have been or have previously been subject to electronic monitoring were in their care.

Earlier this week, 7News reported on the arrest of 18-year-old Romeo Nolasco-Cuellar by a Prince George’s County Police gang unit, charging him with carrying drugs, cash and a machine gun with an extended magazine.

Less than four years ago he was convicted of stabbing a taxi driver to death.

READ|Schiraldi hired a convicted murderer to help reform Maryland’s juvenile justice system

He was just 14 years old at the time and was in the care of Schiraldi’s department before being released last year.

7News On Your Side asked Schiraldi, whose department is responsible for incarcerating juvenile offenders and providing rehabilitation services, how he could say that the public’s safety was the top priority after a case like this.

“For confidentiality reasons I cannot speak about individual cases, but the community has the right to expect to feel safe. In such systems there are many decision makers. If a young person was under supervision, they were released from supervision.” “That’s not usually us,” said Schiraldi. “Ultimately, adult and juvenile sentences end, but during the time they are under supervision, it is our responsibility to provide them with enough support, services and supervision to both hold them accountable and help them “We can help with rehabilitation.” all with the aim of improving public safety.”

7News On Your Side then allowed sister station WBFF to ask questions when the following exchange occurred:

7News: “We can switch questions here, Mikenzie, you can move on.”

Department of Juvenile Services spokesperson: “Well, actually I have some concerns about Mikenzie’s presence.”

WBFF: “While I’m here, I just want to ask –

Schiraldi: “I’ll let you sort it out, and then when it’s time for me to get back in, I’ll get back in.”

WBFF: “I see Minister Schiraldi just dropped out.”

Speaker: “We still have to work something out with Fox 45 separately. I understand that you will probably ask many of the same questions. I understand that the content will be shared. It’s just that as we work to create this.” Relationship, we’re starting from a different starting point with all of you than we do with Fox 45.

WBFF: “So I realize that if I asked a Christian questions and he asked them word for word like I would, the secretary would answer them from him but not from me?”

Narrator: “I thought you were all going to ask questions anyway.”

From this point on in the interview, 7News asked questions from the WBFF in addition to our own.

READ|Lawyer calls for federal investigation into Maryland juvenile detention centers amid rising violence

The first question both stations asked was about the number of teens arrested and accused of committing crimes while wearing ankle monitors and asked about Schiraldi’s response to victims’ calls for his resignation.

“I think people have every right to be concerned about crime. It is an important topic whether it is a teenager or an adult. I find it even more shocking when it comes to a teenager. Even though serious juvenile crime is down – there is a 46% decrease in non-fatal juvenile shootings and 26% decrease in juvenile homicides since last year – people don’t feel safe enough, and I think it’s important for us , both to improve public safety and to communicate what we are doing “Everything we can to make it even better,” Schiraldi said.

7News On Your Side then asked how his department handles electronic monitoring of juveniles and inquired again about calls for his resignation since his response did not answer those questions.

Schiraldi responded: “I will stay in this job and work as hard as I can as long as the governor supports the direction we are taking. The governor has made it very, very clear that he wants us to hold children accountable and rehabilitate them, all with the goal of improving public safety. Most children who are under house arrest will not be rearrested, but you will never have 100% success with a group of troubled young people or troubled adults. We are trying to reduce the number of recidivism among young people.

Schiraldi’s office also adjusted its electronic surveillance policies.

The policy change will place juveniles who are not incarcerated but are accused of committing a violent crime on electronic monitoring before their first court appearance. If a juvenile is already under electronic monitoring and is charged with a violent crime, he or she will be incarcerated.

7News asked Schiraldi how his department is preparing to handle the potential influx of juvenile offenders with ankle monitors, as there are questions about their ability to provide adequate supervision given that some juveniles currently being electronically monitored are already being arrested for other crimes.

“The success rate is really good. We are absolutely ready to follow the new law. In fact, as soon as the new law is passed, we have set up a whole series of working groups to deal with the different inflows. and we are ready to support this law and fulfill it,” Schiraldi said. “I don’t think there’s a guarantee that we’re going to have a whole bunch more kids on ankle monitors. There’s nothing in the law that mandates an increase in home confinement, but we got additional money this year to establish that.” The Legislature gave us an additional $17 million to support youth care, but also to improve their lives.

Although Schiraldi pointed to statistics showing a decline in juvenile crime and recidivism rates, he said he knows he still has work to do when it comes to finding the balance between holding juvenile offenders accountable and providing rehabilitation services .

“The juvenile justice system has always been a balance between responsibility and rehabilitation. I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can both address the rehabilitation needs of children and hold them accountable,” Schiraldi said. “I was the victim of a crime. I sympathize with the victims. They have every right to be frustrated when they are victims and to pursue public safety. I try to achieve public safety every day at work.”