The following letter was submitted by former District 7 Delegate Pat McDonough about Betsy Fox Tolentino, acting Secretary of Juvenile Services of Maryland
The new Juvenile Justice (Betsy Fox Tolentino) DJS leader is a female version of Vincent Schiraldi.
Here are the exact points of what must be done and will not be done. Schiraldi was an Idealog who believed there should be no incarceration and the state or the government should have no control over violent or dangerous juveniles.
As a result, his intake system always release them immediately. They were released because he did not want the government or the state system to control them in any way and use the power of parole and probation to make them accountable.
Second Problem is that the entire juvenile justice system is filled with and controlled by supervisors with power who are just like Schiraldi. He fired all of the good people when he came in.
Third and final problem is that the places of incarceration. The facilities that have the supervisors have no authority over the juveniles. Juveniles are assaulting the correctional officers and the supervisors.
Here’s the bottom line. If Betsy the new powerhouse in juvenile and justice does not do three things she is clearly another Shiraldi but she is worse because she is smart, articulate and a lawyer. The problems will continue. Here is what she must do.
• She must support a change in the law in the General Assembly that restores state oversight parole and probation and not the revolving door system we have now for juveniles.
• She must fire all of the radical directors and supervisor that Shiraldi appointed to the system who will continue his policies and replace them with common sense leaders who will restore the spirit of the agency.
• She must seek funding and new laws to rebuild the incarceration system for juveniles in the state and give authority back to the supervisors who are being assaulted by the juvenile thugs. These three things are fundamental and must be done. If they are not addressed the same problem will continue and get worse.
