Maryland’s acting secretary for the Department of Juvenile Services said the agency is working on a slew of issues about rat infestations and inconsistent health care exposed at the state’s juvenile detention centers in a report earlier this year.
DJS said it is implementing corrective measures to the issues laid out by a report from the Maryland Office of the Correctional Ombudsman.
The agency is expanding pest control maintenance, fixing HVAC systems, increasing medical supervision and creating a comprehensive contraband task force review.
“While no single report or quarter can fully capture the complexity of this work, DJS remains focused on steady progress: strengthening leadership, supporting and retaining staff, improving safety and conditions, expanding access to care and programming, and ensuring that youth are treated with dignity and fairness at every point of contact. These efforts are grounded in data, informed by stakeholder engagement, and guided by the voices and needs of the young people we serve,” Acting Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino said in a response to the Ombudsman.
“The Department of Juvenile Services recognizes that meaningful reform requires sustained effort, transparency, and a willingness to confront challenges directly. This response reflects the Department’s commitment to addressing the issues identified in the Office of the Correction Ombudsman's Juvenile Oversight Division’s report through concrete, measurable actions—both at the facility level and across the system.”
The response does not lay out any details on timelines or monetary investments.
“While challenges remain—including staffing pressures, facility maintenance needs, and access to behavioral health services for youth with complex needs—the Department is addressing these issues with urgency and purpose,” Fox Tolentino wrote.
Maryland Office of the Correctional Ombudsman’s report found rats and rodent feces, tattered shoes and extreme heat and cold.
The report is a damning condemnation of almost every facet of the centers’ operations. It details staffing shortages that rely on mandatory overtime, persistent contraband of controlled substances, unsanitary kitchen conditions, broken furniture and poorly maintained bathrooms and a lack of programs that promote education and creative expression.
The report looked at five detention centers: Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center (BCJJC), Charles Hickey Jr. School, Cheltenham Youth Detention Center, Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Detention Center and Western Maryland Children’s Detention Center.
It also looked at three placement centers and three other smaller programs.
The report also found one child who was a paraplegic who was a victim of extreme neglect.
“During one monitoring visit, a paraplegic youth housed in the infirmary was upset because he was left sitting in his own waste (urine and feces),” the report said. “The smell of urine and feces permeated the infirmary area, and the other youth tried to clean the area around the youth to quell the smell.”
The report also details the use of buprenorphine, an opioid medication, being abused in the facilities leading to withdrawal symptoms and medical emergencies.
Youth advocates are railing against the conditions, calling them unsafe and unsanitary for children and pointing out that the issues have been going on for years.
“Maryland is failing kids in its custody by holding them in inhumane and dangerous conditions without appropriate medical care,” Alice Wilkerson, a spokesperson for the Maryland Youth Justice Coalition said in a statement. “The unacceptable conditions documented by the Ombudsman—including, outrageously, youths naming rodents as if they were pets—highlights the need for immediate action to improve youth facilities and to end the harmful practice of charging children as adults.”
Late last year, advocates protested against poor heating conditions in a juvenile corrections facility.
