Listen to this articleBOWIE — The Maryland Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Public Defender announced the creation of the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative (MEJC) on Wednesday, an initiative aimed at reducing mass incarceration in Maryland.
The initiative brings together 39 organizations to develop actionable recommendations, including recommendations related to legislation, funding and the realignment of existing resources, to help address the disproportionate rate of incarceration among Black Marylanders and other marginalized groups.
Natasha Dartigue, Maryland Public Defender, said mass incarceration is not only a national problem but is “a cancer that infects Maryland,” noting that Maryland incarcerates the highest percentage of African Americans in the country. Sentences for Black individuals are substantially higher than the sentences imposed on white individuals for the same offense, Dartigue said.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, as of 2021, 29% of Maryland residents are Black, however Black Marylanders make up 71% of the prison population.
“MEJC will work to uplift marginalized communities and develop meaningful reforms that end the cycling of people through Maryland’s jails and prisons,” Dartigue said.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said he thinks the MEJC “will be the most impactful initiative to change the lives of Marylanders.”
In addition to developing a variety of recommendations, Brown said the MEJC will also focus on recidivism and work to create an environment for successful re-entry into society for those previously incarcerated.
The MEJC will meet quarterly and be comprised of various committees with specific focus areas, such as juvenile justice reform, law enforcement policies and practices, and criminal law and sentencing reform.
The MEJC plans to produce a preliminary legislative recommendation for the 2024 legislative session beginning in January, as well as a final report by January 2025.
Brown, however, also said public safety is one of his top priorities.
“If you commit crime or violence, you will be held accountable, no matter the color of your skin. But we are not going to investigate and prosecute our way to safer neighborhoods,” Brown said. “We are certainly not going to prosecute our way to safer neighborhoods in an unjust system.”
Charles Adams, executive director of the Institute for Restorative Justice at Bowie State University, said the work to end mass incarceration is a continual process.
“We can’t just have a press conference and move on. We can’t just take a photo-op,” Adams said. “This has been going on for too long. It’s systemic. It’s rooted in our past, but it does not have to be our future.”
The MEJC will hold a public forum on mass incarceration on Monday, Nov. 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore.