Maryland v. Crime: Battle Plan for a New Year and a New Century

• NCJ Number: 169827
• Author(s): J J Curran Jr
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 68 pages
• Sale Source: Maryland Office of the Attorney General
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Report of the Maryland Attorney General to the General Assembly of Maryland.

Annotation

After providing an overview of crime patterns, including juvenile crime, in Maryland, this report calls for new directions in crime-control strategy in the State.

Abstract

As of 1993, Maryland ranked tenth in the Nation in per capita crimes, seventh in violent crime, sixth in homicides, and third in robberies. Last year, violent crime declined nationwide by 5 percent, and homicide decreased by as much as 30 percent in some major cities; yet Maryland experienced a crime increase in nearly every category. During the first 9 months of the year, homicide increased 8 percent, robberies 5 percent, and rapes 4 percent. The juvenile crime rate has also soared. While the crime rate has increased, Maryland is spending more than most other States on criminal justice. What is needed, therefore, is a new strategy that can be more effective in preventing and controlling crime. The State should implement early education and home intervention programs that target at-risk children from infancy through six years old. School and community-based programs should be developed for at-risk youth to improve academic achievement, to reduce truancy and antisocial behavior, and to train parents in child behavioral management. Further, there should be a continuum of graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders; these should be triggered at the first sign of delinquency and combine accountability with efforts to develop individual responsibility, self-esteem, and self-discipline. In addition, law enforcement's tools should be improved in the area of crime prevention. Innovative community policing strategies are important in this endeavor. Also, certain firearms laws should be strengthened, and the use of gun patrols should be increased. The proposed comprehensive strategy also recommends efforts to reduce family violence and poverty, hold offenders accountable, prepare offenders for re-entry into the community, reform sentencing laws to impose longer prison terms in certain instances, and link sentencing policies to prison capacity. Finally, there must be a more intensive and widespread offensive to dismantle the pervasive and destructive drug culture. This report recommends specific tasks for implementing broad strategy priorities. 5 tables, appended descriptions of early prevention programs and childhood and adolescent prevention and intervention programs, as well as descriptions of graduated juvenile sanctions