Investigation reveals concerns with Baltimore pilot program for first-time juvenile offenders

A new investigation reveals issues with SideStep, a pilot program run by Baltimore City to keep juveniles from reoffending.

The city's inspector general examined whether taxpayer dollars were being properly managed — and whether SideStep is effective—  before it potentially expands citywide. 

You can read a synopsis of the report here.

The investigation 

Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming told WJZ Investigates they received a tip that SideStep was not running the way it was portrayed.

That led her office to start digging into the pilot initiative that MONSE, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, launched in West Baltimore in 2022. It ran through 2024.

SideStep aimed to help first-time juvenile offenders with an alternative to the justice system. 

It involved more than 50 youth aged 17 and younger who were charged with minor offenses like shoplifting, larceny, and misdemeanor assault.

"The goal is to put them into a program that will give them structure and tools so they will go in a different direction and not end up in the criminal justice system," Cumming said. 

But Cumming found problems.

While MONSE noted 14% of youth were arrested again, that number only covered the first six months after they enrolled in SideStep. 

The inspector general's report found that beyond six months, the number jumped to more than 40%.

The investigation revealed some frustration from police and stated, "Each officer reported that many of the youth they contact and initially refer to SideStep become engaged in more serious offenses, such as robberies or assaults."

There were also staffing issues, and only one person for officers to call when they wanted to refer a juvenile. 

"If they're ending up after six months going right back, that's a concern," Cumming said. "And that's the type of thing that we need to know so that we can evaluate how it can be changed."

Following the money 

The report revealed that more than $350,000 for salaries and other expenses was never billed to the state but should have been. 

"This is Baltimore City. The average employee here makes about $60,000, so this is not a drop in the bucket in the city, and if they're going to take that type of money from anybody, I think we need to be vigilant," Cumming said.

The city paid almost $25,000 to evaluate SideStep, but the report found MONSE failed to give access to all data and the youth involved and their parents or guardians, which prevented an effective evaluation of the program. 

"They were trying to do as comprehensive an evaluation as possible, but they kept running into roadblocks," Cumming said. 

MONSE response 

MONSE issued a detailed response and said the city already addressed many of the concerns and "spent this year redesigning entire portions of the program based on lessons learned during the pilot phase."

MONSE director Stefanie Mavronis wrote that they now have stronger oversight and better tracking of whether juveniles reoffend. 

"MONSE will continue to advance opportunities and support for young people in Baltimore. Similarly, we will continue working in partnership with the mayor's office and oversight partners to ensure our policies and programs reflect best practices, uphold the highest integrity, and deliver meaningful results for Baltimore's youth and communities," Mavronis wrote. 

As for state reimbursements, Mavronis said the city was in contact with the Department of Juvenile Services "regarding the FY23 and FY24 award periods to determine the actual amount remitted to the City for those fiscal years and next steps."

You can read the city's full response here.

Cumming said she will follow up.

"This is an ongoing investigation. Now, we're going to move into the different phases of it," Cumming said.

SideStep is not currently operating, but it appears poised to continue and expand with some changes based in part on issues raised in this investigation.