Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue announced the launch of the Maryland Justice Partnership (MJP) on Monday.

The Office of the Public Defender formed the MJP to help deliver further on 18 recommendations from the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative released last March.

Dartigue says while some of the recommendations became law last year, she hopes to make more progress this legislative session, which starts on Wednesday.

“We cannot afford to stall again,” the public defender said. “We need coordinated implementation as bills move through committee — piecemeal reform does not work. We need sustained pressure, aligned advocacy and accountability across agencies to ensure that what passes actually gets implemented.”

Ending automatic charging of youths as adults and reducing racial disparities within the justice system are top priorities for the partnership.

The MJP will work through six implementation hubs, which are expected to develop work plans and track progress over the next year.

The six hubs include: community safety and crisis response; pretrial justice and diversion; behavioral health justice; fair sentencing and parole reform; community reintegration and stability; youth justice and educational equity.

“This is not just a study. It is not another task force. It is a coordinated effort bringing together state agencies, community organizations to implement specific policy changes that will address mass incarceration and the racial disparities in Maryland’s criminal legal system,” Dartigue said.

The MJP will also be working with academic partners like Bowie State University, Morgan State University and the University of Baltimore to conduct evaluations and assessments to make sure the partnership stays on track.