MARYLAND - Maryland’s attorney general and public defender have released a set of recommendations aimed at reducing what they call the “mass incarceration of Black people and marginalized groups.”
Attorney General Anthony Brown emphasized the significance of the issue, pointing to state statistics.
“Maryland has the highest percentage of incarcerated Black people in the nation, period,” Brown said. “Black Marylanders make up 30% of the population. Yet we account for 71% of those who are in state correctional facilities.”
The report includes 18 recommendations to address what Brown describes as racial disparities in the state’s criminal justice system. Among them are limiting the automatic charging of juveniles as adults, ending non-safety-related traffic stops, and conducting a comprehensive analysis of each step in the criminal legal process.
While some advocates have applauded the proposals, some members of law enforcement argue the changes could hinder their ability to do their jobs.
Monica Brooks, a representative of the Wicomico County NAACP, called the recommendations a step in the right direction.
“If we can actually get some real traction out of this, it’s going to be a great benefit to the Black community and certainly increase fairness in how the judicial system sees people of color,” Brooks said.
However, Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli expressed concerns, particularly about ending non-safety-related traffic stops, such as those for expired registrations or broken headlights.
“By hampering law enforcement officers, by taking tools away from them to stop these vehicles, I believe it’s endangering not only our community—our neighbors are going to be in danger, but the drivers on our roadways are going to be dangerous,” Crisafulli said.
Brooks pushed back against that argument, saying the data shows racial disparities in policing.
“Why do Black people get pulled over, stopped, arrested far more than our white counterparts when we don’t have the numbers in our population?” Brooks said. “Black people are not a monolith. You cannot say that a population of people are bad actors.”
Crisafulli maintains that law enforcement officers apply the law equally.
“Whoever is committing crime is going to have to suffer the consequences of law enforcement officers,” he said. “Look at the letter of the law.”
The report was released by the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, which was formed in October 2023.