Sen. William Smith visited a government property in Prince George's County, where an overgrown cemetery holds unmarked graves of Black children from the 19th century. He argues for cleanup and acknowledgment of the deaths as a reflection of systemic issues in juvenile justice. Smith, chair of the judicial proceedings committee, highlights that Maryland has a high rate of sending young offenders to adult facilities, particularly affecting children of color. He introduced Senate Bill 422 to raise the automatic transfer age for juveniles from 14 to 16 and to eliminate some adult charge eligibility for 16-year-olds, pushing for required reforms in the juvenile justice system.
Sen. William Smith emphasizes the urgent need to clean up an overgrown cemetery in Prince George's County, which contains unmarked graves of Black children sent to a 19th-century juvenile facility. He believes acknowledging these deaths is crucial to addressing systemic issues within Maryland's juvenile justice system.
The majority of juveniles sent to adult prisons in Maryland are children of color, with 80% being Black. Smith advocates for raising the age for automatic adult charges and reforming laws that adversely affect these young individuals.
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