The following article was submitted by Delegate Bob Long about holding criminals accountable to make our neighborhoods safer
Last week I presented a bill (HB1154) in the House Judiciary Committee that would require the Commissioner of Correction or their designee to remove a person from home detention at their discretion. I have brought this same bill to Annapolis on numerous occasions. Time and time again Maryland Democrats refuse to act on it.
Furthermore, they choose to not even bring the bill out for a vote. It is as if they are not hearing the public outcry for our state to be tougher on crime.
Currently, Maryland law allows the Commissioner of Correction or their designee to remove an individual from home detention at their discretion.
However, the existing language does not specifically mandate removal in the event of a violation of the terms set for the individual’s placement.
This bill seeks to fill that gap by requiring that the Commissioner or their designee must act when violations occur, removing the individual from the program and potentially returning them to jail.
Recently, a UMBC poll revealed that over 50% of Marylanders have seriously considered leaving the state; this is unacceptable. A large reason for this is the increase in crime we have seen.
We do not want crime to spill over into the county from Baltimore City.
Specifically, this bill seeks to take away the privilege of home detention for those who violate the terms. Those on home detention are not allowed to leave their home with a few exceptions.
We must hold those accountable that break their terms. Otherwise, what is even the point of having them be a part of a home detention program?
Just a couple weeks back two teens were shot and killed outside of Columbia Mall by an individual that was meant to be on home arrest. Evidence given by the third-party monitoring company shows that the suspect left his home multiple times, violating their home detention agreement.
These are two young lives that could have been saved had the suspect’s home detention privilege been revoked due to violating it.
This continues to happen time and time again. It should be viewed as a privilege to get to serve your sentence from home.
Criminals should not be able to take advantage of that privilege and roam freely.
Until the Maryland General Assembly gets serious about laws on the book, crime will continue to be a problem.
Home detention should not be used as a loophole to be taken advantage of by offenders who fail to meet their obligations.
