Juvenile Justice: Why Reform is Needed Now
Juvenile justice reform efforts are strong in this year's General Assembly. One of the primary goals is to end the policy of automatically charging juveniles as adults for certain crimes. Maryland is one of nine states that send more than 200 children to the adult system every year. Other initiatives include prohibiting law enforcement officers from interrogating juveniles in custody without legal counsel, and limiting the length of probation in the juvenile system.
On March 2, 2022, our panel discussed the need for these reforms: Jenny Egan, chief attorney, juvenile division, Maryland Office of the Public Defender; Aneesa Khan, J.D. '17, assistant public defender, juvenile division, Maryland Office of the Public Defender; and chef Michael Singleton, who shared his experience with the juvenile justice system.
Heather Warnken, executive director of the UB Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform, moderated the discussion.
Panelists
Jenny Egan
Chief Attorney, Juvenile Division, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Aneesa Khan, J.D. '17
Assistant Public Defender, Juvenile Division, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Michael Singleton
Chef
Heather Warnken
Executive Director, UB Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform
Future Events
To recommend a topic idea or to express your interest to serve as a panelist for a future event, contact Jason Keller at jkeller@ubalt.edu.
