Ben Conarck

@conarck.bsky.social

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Covering government and criminal justice in Prince George's County for The Baltimore Banner • tips to bconarck @thebaltimorebanner.com

UPDATE: NO SCHOOL AT YOUTH DETENTION CENTER AS EXTREME COLD CONDITIONS CONTINUE BALTIMORE, MD – MOPD has learned that there is no school today at the Youth Detention Center (YDC), with teachers reporting the facility is too cold to conduct classes. The heating system remains inoperable, and temperatures inside the facility continue to hover below 60 degrees. "When it's too cold for teachers to work, it's too cold for children to live," said Public Defender Natasha Dartigue. "These 63 children aren't just missing school today—they're still sleeping, eating, and spending every hour in these freezing conditions. The school closure underscores exactly what we've been saying: these temperatures are unsafe and inhumane." Children at YDC, who have been charged as adults and are awaiting trial, remain in cold dormitories with only thin blankets for warmth. The facility is operating at 105% capacity, and overcrowding has prevented any use of the gym, depriving children of physical activity. Children are confined to cold living areas with no outlet for movement or exercise. "These children are trapped in freezing rooms with nothing to do and nowhere to go," Dartigue stated. "No school, no gym, no physical activity—just sitting in the cold, day after day. This is not detention. This is neglect." As previously announced, MOPD is filing motions to modify conditions of detention to protect these children. "Every day without heat is another day these children suffer. We continue to call on the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to take immediate action." 
Statement from Local 1427, Baltimore City Corrections, President Dorian Johnson  "AFSCME has been sounding the alarm about hazardous and dangerous conditions in State facilities, but particularly at MRDCC for years.  Concerns about the facilities failures, asbestos, black mold as well as other serious health and safety concerns have been brought up continuously at Labor-Management Committee meetings in the central region with little or no action from the administration.   While we are pleased that the administration has suddenly acknowledged many of our long-held complaints and concerns, we were blindsided by their sudden action. The lack of transparency regarding the hazards in the facility and the structural issues is leading to a dangerous and rushed depopulation of the facility.  We are very concerned that this depopulation and transfer could also lead to increased violence and further overcrowding of other facilities throughout the system. Our members and incarcerated individuals have already been subject to enormous spikes in violence and assaults over recent years. Hastily moving close to 400 individuals in 72 hours further puts people at an unnecessary risk. Instead of being transparent, giving advanced notice, and planning an orderly depopulation of MRDCC the action of state's administration has caused confusion and put our members at new and additional risk. AFSCME is calling on the State to be transparent as well as timely in providing engineering reports, health and safety inspections, and reports for all our facilities instead of concealing known issues. The stonewalling of information requests, particularly regarding health and safety must end. Furthermore, we demand that the state finally provide proper funding to fix and repair our many facilities instead of letting them rot and enriching private landlords around the state with wasteful leases.”
Image of the front page of the Community Oversight Task Force report form 2018 recommending an independent civilian oversight office.