Embattled DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi steps down

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3 days ago

Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent N. Schiraldi in a file photo from January 2024. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
Vincent Schiraldi, whose two years as secretary of the troubled Maryland Department of Juvenile Services were marked by heavy criticism from some state lawmakers, resigned Monday.
Critics called the move long overdue but Schiraldi, 66, said in an interview Monday evening that he's pleased with the work he and his team did under the leadership of Gov. Wes Moore (D).
'It was a real honor working with Gov. Moore,' he said. 'I wish him luck as he continues to drive down crime and improve outcomes for young people. His efforts to abolish childhood poverty will reap benefits, not only for kids, but also they'll improve crime rates even further than they already are.'
Moore announced Schiraldi's replacement will be Besty Fox Tolentino, who will assume the acting secretary position Wednesday. She currently works as managing director of juvenile and young adult justice initiatives at The Roca Impact Institute, a nonprofit based in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
'We knew when we took office that the Department of Juveniles Services was one of the most troubled in all of State government. We need to continue to move fast and diligently in order to turn it around,' Moore said in a statement.
'I am pleased that Betsy Fox Tolentino has raised her hand to serve and will lead the department during the next critical phase of this work,' his statement said. 'Her focus on safety for all communities is defined by executional excellence, accountability for justice-involved youth, support for the staff who serve them, and sturdy grounding in the law is exactly what we need at this moment.'
Before working at The Roca Institure, Fox Tolentino worked in juvenile services in Maryland as deputy secretary of community operations, a position created by the General Assembly in 2021.
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'I am thankful for Secretary Schiraldi's service to Maryland while leading an organization that shapes the lives of our young people who need support. I wish him well in his next endeavors,' Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said in a statement. 'I also want to congratulate Betsy Tolentino on her nomination as secretary. Ms. Tolentino's experience in successful operations at the Department of Juvenile Services will be important to the next phase of the work for the agency.'
Senate Republicans believe Schiraldi's departure is 'long overdue,' saying in a written statement that under Schiraldi's leadership, 'a broken system became a public safety liability.'
'He presided over widespread failures: violent juveniles released with no real supervision, repeated contract mismanagement, dangerous missteps in ankle monitoring, and frontline staff left to fend for themselves,' Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) said in the statement.
Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) criticized Moore for not removing him sooner, saying that while the change in leadership is welcome, it 'doesn't erase the damage already done under Schiraldi—or the fact that the Governor stood by while this department fell deeper into crisis.'
The Senate Republicans that the department Schiraldi leaves behind 'remains in disarray,' and that disfunction at the agency are 'deeply embedded in a culture of mismanagement and denial.'
'Removing Schiraldi is just step one,' Hershey added. 'We need a full overhaul of the department — new leadership, real operational experience, a commitment to public safety, and above all, accountability.'
The juvenile services department has been mired in controversies under Schiraldi. Most recently, the agency was the subject of a lengthy report from state auditors who said the department failed to consistently ensure that criminal background checks were completed for every contractor working at state juvenile detention centers and treatment facilities.
This oversight allowed a state contractor for the department to work directly with children through this year, despite a 2021 assault conviction, according to a May report from the Office of Legislative Audits.
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Schiraldi's department also came under fire over last year over inadequate communications involving the transfer of a student who was charged with serious criminal offenses.
Last year, the Maryland State Board of Education had to issue an emergency rule requiring that school leaders notify other schools of such cases, after a student in Howard County was arrested in connection with an October murder. Howard County education officials said that they were not notified that the student in question had also had been charged in another county and was under Department of Juvenile Services supervision before he enrolled in their county.
The General Assembly's Joint Republican Caucus had called for Schiraldi's removal following that incident. Moore stood by Schiraldi then, saying that the secretary understood the vision of the administration when it came to accountability and opportunities for Maryland's youth.
Schiraldi said when some lawmakers speak loudly against some criminal justice reform measures, 'watch out.'
'I think when you hear some politicians thumping their chests and breathing fire … that's when bad policy happens, and that's when lots and lots and lots of young Black men get incarcerated,' he said. 'That is the story of mass incarceration, and if we're not careful, we will relive that history.'
Schiraldi has highlighted several accomplishments during his tenure with the agency such as the creation of the Thrive Academy. The program that began in 2023 in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to provide community-based, gun-violence prevention programs for youth at the highest risk of being a victim or perpetrator of gun violence.
By July 1 of last year, it had expanded to 300 youths statewide.
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In terms of staffing, Schiraldi told the Senate committee in January the job vacancy rate at the department decreased from 16% when he arrived to 11% during that time.
Schiraldi spent several decades in criminal justice and youth reform. He was director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services in Washington, D.C.; a senior criminal justice adviser to former New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (D); a leader of the New York City Department of Corrections during which he tried to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex and end solitary confinement; and senior researcher at the Columbia School of Social Work.
'Vinny Schiraldi brought decades of experience and innovative thinking to the task of running the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services,' Moore's statement said. 'He put immense energy and effort into his work and moved important new efforts forward – to include the award-winning Thrive Academy – and we thank him for his service.'
Schiraldi, who said his work extends 45 years, plans to relax this summer fishing and hiking with his wife in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He declined to say what his plans are in the fall, but he isn't going to retire.
'Folks have been knocking on my door,' he said. 'I got a lot of things that I'm considering, but I haven't made any commitments to people yet, so I can't announce it. I'll be fighting mass incarceration again like I always have.'