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CBS News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland governor wants accountability in juvenile crime fight after DJS secretary's resignation
The embattled Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services, Vincent Schiraldi, told WJZ he is leaving on his terms, despite Governor Wes Moore insisting he asked for the resignation. The move follows intense criticism of Schiraldi during his two years in office, with critics claiming his policies are too lenient on young and violent offenders. Schiraldi defends work Secretary Schiraldi defended his work in an interview with WJZ shortly after Monday night's surprise announcement from the governor's office that he would be leaving DJS. "Lots of stuff has gone in the right direction, and I thought it's probably a good time for this particular lightning rod to move on and let somebody else take it to the next level," Schiraldi said. Schiraldi said the barrage of criticism that he is too easy on juvenile offenders and failed to hold them accountable during his years on the job factored into his decision. "I've been under criticism since I started," Schiraldi said. "I think it sort of bears noting mass incarceration has been around almost five decades now, and there have been people who have gone up against it, who have pushed back and fought against what I think is very destructive and racially divisive and ineffective policy." Schiraldi added, "This is right out of the mass incarceration playbook: Lots of politicians thumping their chests and vilifying kids and saying we should lock more of them up, and that's what happened. None of that was a surprise." Moore addresses Schiraldi's departure Gov. Moore had a different take on how the departure unfolded. "I called for his resignation, and I'm happy about the direction that I think we are going to go in," the governor told WYPR's Midday with Tom Hall. Moore also spoke about his view of juvenile justice. "I think accountability means being able to use all assets at your disposal," Moore said. "So, if you're saying that accountability simply means a lecture, I think you're wrong. And I think if you're saying accountability means locking everyone up for everything, I also think you are wrong." Moore said, "True public safety means that you have to have the right combination of accountability for those who break the law, and you need to make sure that you focus on rehabilitation." DJS leadership replacement The governor tapped Betsy Fox Tolentino to take over DJS. She currently works for Roca, an organization WJZ has profiled that helps reach the most at-risk youth in Maryland. Tolentino previously worked in Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services Schiraldi said he recommended her for the position, but the governor insisted Tuesday, "She is my choice. I'm thankful that we have someone who is so talented who is coming on to be able to take on that role." Moore said he was "looking forward to the Senate nominations committee giving her a speedy confirmation." The critics Critics, including many Republicans in the General Assembly, told WJZ Investigates they want a change in direction at DJS, citing repeat, violent offenders going unpunished. "Someone who is 16- and 17-years-old, if they commit a violent crime, they should absolutely be held accountable. I certainly hope the acting secretary does not continue down that pathway [of Schiraldi]," Baltimore County Republican Delegate Ryan Nawrocki told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. Nawrocki said the resignation came as a surprise. "The governor definitely dug in on his confidence in Secretary Schiraldi, so I was definitely surprised by his resignation, but I certainly think it was long overdue," he said. "As you know, I have been calling for his resignation now for well over a year. The system is fundamentally broken at DJS, and I believe the only way to have a good pathway forward is to have new leadership at the top of that organization." The new secretary will still have to be confirmed by the state senate and faces tough questions from Republicans, including Senator William Folden, who was outspoken about Schiraldi's tenure. "He's been a colossal failure," Senator Folden told Hellgren. "He should never have been in that position, and for the governor to put him in that position and leave him in there for as long as he did, at least there's change coming." Folden added, "I applaud the governor for doing this. It's taken a long enough time, but at least the action has been taken now." High-profile incidents Last year, Schiraldi said he had no plans to step down after facing criticism over an incident in Howard County. Howard County Superintendent Bill Barnes said at the time he had no idea a 17-year-old student at Howard High faced attempted murder charges for a violent attack that left a victim paralyzed when he was placed in the school on an ankle monitor under the supervision of the state Department of Juvenile Services. The teen suspect was arrested and charged with the murder of a man last October in the parking lot of an office building in Columbia. Police said they took him into custody in school with a ghost gun that was loaded, had an extended magazine, and was modified to be an automatic weapon. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. The secretary defended his record. "We need to start having a fact and data-based conversation and not just vilify young people with hyperbole. It doesn't serve the goals of public safety. It feeds fear, and it's contrary to the best practices in research," Schiraldi said. He told WJZ his last day on the job is June 20.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Maryland juvenile services head Schiraldi resigns after intense scrutiny
Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi — Gov. Wes Moore's most unorthodox Cabinet member — resigned Monday after a tumultuous two years while tasked with overhauling the agency amid a spike in crime among teens. Schiraldi, a nationally renowned youth justice reformist, said in an interview Tuesday that he told the governor's office last month of his intent to leave the agency by the end of the calendar year, but said he would depart sooner if it made more sense logistically for the administration.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- CBS News
New audit report details allegations on failures within Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services
A new audit report revealed scathing allegations of failures within Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services. Among the problems pointed out by the state's Department of Legislative Services, DJS did not conduct thorough background checks for its contractors who were providing youth care services. The report notes that an employee working for a DJS contractor was a convict who may have been ineligible to work. As of January, that employee was still there. The report also pointed out some financial issues and an issue with how DJS handled cybersecurity concerns over a three-year period. DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi said that many of the issues highlighted in the report preceded him and his team. He went on to say that DJS is being proactive about correcting the issues outlined in the report. "Upon receipt of the preliminary findings, we acted swiftly and proactively to begin correcting the deficiencies outlined in the report," Schiraldi said. Abuse allegations in Maryland juvenile detention centers According to the New York-based law firm, 650 lawsuits have exposed cases of abuse that occurred between the 1970s and 2018 in Maryland's juvenile detention centers. Some lawsuits, filed by New York-based firm Levy Konigsberg, allege that survivors suffered repeated abuse at one of 12 juvenile detention facilities in the state. "It is both appalling and disappointing to our clients that the State of Maryland has refused to take any responsibility for this horrific sexual abuse," law firm Partner Jerome Block said. According to the firm, the juvenile detention system has delayed or ignored reform despite investigations, warnings and reports that revealed abusive staff and invasive strip searches. Survivors allege that the instances of sexual abuse were carried out by officers, counselors, teachers, managers and other staff members. "The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, entrusted with protecting these children, instead enabled an environment of silence and suffering," attorneys said in a statement. The 650 lawsuits were filed under the Maryland Child Victims Act, a 2023 law that eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse survivors and allowed them to receive a payout of $890,000 for each claim.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A convicted criminal worked with children at Maryland facility, audit finds
Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi testifies to a Senate committee in January. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) A state contractor for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services worked directly with children despite a 2021 assault conviction, according to a recent audit of the department. The department — which is tasked with housing and providing programs for incarcerated young people, among other functions — failed to consistently ensure that criminal background checks were completed for every contractor working at state juvenile detention centers and treatment facilities, according to the audit. As of Jan. 3, the contractor, who auditors said was convicted of second-degree assault and possession of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure, was still working for a DJS vendor. It was just one of the findings of the 75-page audit released Tuesday by the Office of Legislative Audits, which also reported DJS staff working large amounts of overtime without adequate checks and balances, poorly documented procurements and payments, and a lack of inventories of food and other supplies. In a written response to auditors, Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi noted that the audit covered April 1, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2023. Gov. Wes Moore (D) took office in January 2023. 'The vast majority of the audit period preceded the current administration. Since coming on board, our team has made it a priority to identify and address operational weaknesses both prior to and throughout the audit period,' Schiraldi wrote. It's the latest flare-up for the somewhat embattled secretary. In January, Maryland lawmakers grilled Schiraldi during a three-hour hearing about a 'troubling' report on the agency's performance, including concerns about staffing and juveniles who recommit crimes and are returned to the department's custody. In its response to the May audit, the agency acknowledged the issues with background checks, and in other areas. 'We agree with the recommendation and have developed a generic email address for all vendors to report the findings of their criminal background checks as part of the employment process,' DJS officials said. The agency said it will evaluate whether any contract modifications need to be made to address background checks. It estimated that fixes could be in place by Jan. 31, 2026. Auditors also found that DJS did not require or obtain updates about any criminal activity by vendors after a contract award. If a contractor was convicted of a disqualifying crime after an initial background check, DJS would not know, unless the vendor reported it voluntarily. The audit results pointed to a high reliance on overtime at DJS facilities. In 2023, 10 employees received overtime payments that were greater than their base salaries. A top overtime recipient earned nearly $87,000 in overtime payments, supplementing their salary of $56,750. Also in 2023, 244 DJS employees received overtime payments that totaled more than 50% of their regular earnings. The agency spent $14.9 million on overtime in 2023, exceeding its overtime budget by more than $4 million, according to the audit. It was a significant increase compared to 2021, when the agency paid $10.4 million on overtime, and came in under budget. The Juvenile Services agency failed to ensure that employees who worked double shifts on four or more consecutive days received approval from the Director of Residential Services. The agency also did not ' analyze overtime to identify employees who received significant overtime payments and possible steps to reduce the amount of overtime worked,' according to the audit. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE In its response, the agency said that it began reviewing overtime in December 2024, and has done so 'every pay period since.' The agency pledged to review the policy on double shifts, and general overtime use. 'DJS will review the current process to ensure it is reasonable and provides adequate data to the appropriate staff to make informed assessments of overtime utilization,' read the response from the agency, which said it expects to complete its review by Sept. 30. The audit also found that, at key facilities, DJS did not conduct required physical inventories of food, medicine, clothing, hygiene products and games, among other items at its facilities. 'For example, at both facilities DJS did not periodically conduct physical inventories or maintain a record of food on hand as required, which would allow for DJS to avoid over-purchasing and waste, and to detect theft,' read the audit. In his statement to auditors, Schiraldi said that his agency has implemented a new tracking system for the supplies. 'The new system will automate tracking (scan upon receipt) to significantly improve the efficiencies of inventory management,' read the agency's response. DJS also failed to check up on its facilities, after its Office of Inspector General identified issues. DJS would receive a corrective action report from the facility staff, but wouldn't verify that fixes were actually completed, the audit said. In its response, the agency pledged to put fixes in place by June 30, and monitor corrective actions at the facilities. When it came to signing contracts with vendors, the audit also found that DJS couldn't provide all the required documentation for five contracts totaling $27.6 million. 'As a result, we could not readily determine the propriety of any of these five awards,' auditors wrote. To pay its contractors, the agency leaned on 'direct voucher payments' 57% of the time in the audit period, circumventing state policy. These payments are made without matching a correlating purchase order or invoice. In its response, DJS expressed concern about a new policy from the Comptroller's office, reducing 'the timeframe for agencies to process and pay vendor invoices from 25 days to 15 days, which has presented operational challenges in ensuring that purchase orders (POs) are always in place.' DJS said it checked its own direct voucher payments, and determined that 80% were supported by purchase orders or other documentation. In one instance, DJS management paid $1.5 million of a $1.7 million price tag to a contractor before work was performed — overruling a DJS staffer. Four months later, the vendor completed the job, which involved installing modular homes at a DJS facility. The department pledged to provide better documentation of its decision-making, but argued the decision to pre-pay about 90% of the cost for the modular homes was 'appropriate to facilitate the timely delivery.'
