Howard County Department Of Corrections Updates ICE Policy To Only Hold ICE Detainees Convicted Of Crime Of Violence
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- The Howard County Department of Corrections will be applying an updated policy to only hold ICE detainees at the Howard County Detention Center who have been convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Md. Criminal Law Code Annotated section 14-101.
Under the previous policy, the Department of Corrections can house ICE detainees who have been charged with or convicted of jailable offenses. During the COVID-19 pandemic detainees in the Detention Center under the contract with ICE generally have been convicted or charged with serious crimes.
"I believe these revised criteria address some concerns raised by members of the community, while still addressing public safety issues caused by violent offenders," said Jack Kavanagh, Department of Correction Director. "I thank County Executive Ball for his on-going involvement as well as those who helped move this forward."
Under the new policy, the Howard County Department of Corrections will still accept ICE detainees who have been convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Md. Criminal Law Code Annotated section 14-101.
The list of violent crimes included in the statute has been defined by the Maryland General Assembly and examples of such crimes include murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and more serious assaults and sexual offenses.
The revision differs from Council Bill 51, introduced September 8. If it is enacted, CB-51 would effectively prohibit the County from housing any person who is in federal custody in the Detention Center under the contract with ICE, the county government said.