New audit report details allegations of failures within Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services

A new audit revealed scathing allegations of failures within Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services (DJS).

Among the problems pointed out by the state's Department of Legislative Services, DJS did not conduct thorough background checks for its contractors who were providing youth care services.

The report notes that an employee working for a DJS contractor was a convict who may have been ineligible to work. As of January, that employee was still there.

The report also pointed out some financial problems and an issue with how DJS handled cybersecurity concerns over a three-year period.

DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi said that many of the issues highlighted in the report preceded him and his team. He went on to say that DJS is being proactive about correcting the issues outlined in the report.

"Upon receipt of the preliminary findings, we acted swiftly and proactively to begin correcting the deficiencies outlined in the report," Schiraldi said.

A spokesperson for DJS shared the following statement: 

"The recently published audit of DJS by the Office of Legislative Audits covered April 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023. While this period primarily reflects operations under the previous administration, it remains a priority for Secretary Schiraldi to address longstanding operational weaknesses and to act swiftly and proactively to correct the deficiencies outlined in the report. We agreed with much of the report's findings and have already initiated remedial actions for every recommendation."

Abuse allegations in Maryland juvenile detention centers

According to the New York-based law firm, 650 lawsuits have exposed cases of abuse that occurred between the 1970s and 2018 in Maryland's juvenile detention centers.

Some lawsuits, filed by New York-based firm Levy Konigsberg, allege that survivors suffered repeated abuse at one of 12 juvenile detention facilities in the state. 

"It is both appalling and disappointing to our clients that the State of Maryland has refused to take any responsibility for this horrific sexual abuse," law firm Partner Jerome Block said. 

According to the firm, the juvenile detention system has delayed or ignored reform despite investigations, warnings and reports that revealed abusive staff and invasive strip searches. 

Survivors allege that the instances of sexual abuse were carried out by officers, counselors, teachers, managers and other staff members. 

"The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, entrusted with protecting these children, instead enabled an environment of silence and suffering," attorneys said in a statement.

The 650 lawsuits were filed under the Maryland Child Victims Act, a 2023 law that eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse survivors and allowed them to receive a payout of $890,000 for each claim. The law has since been amended to limit the amount of compensation.