Bill seeks to mandate DJS intake for juveniles involved in fatal crimes

MARYLAND – Maryland lawmakers are pushing the Mandatory Petition, which would make Children in Need of Supervision (CINS) petitions and Department of Juvenile Services intervention intake mandatory for any juveniles involved in violent crimes that result in a death, yet are too young to prosecute due to their age.

The bill is known as Nykayla Strawder’s bill, named after a 15-year-old who was killed by a nine-year-old with a handgun. Bill sponsor State Senator Jill Carter says that that nine-year-old child was too young to be charged. Therefore, they were simply placed back in the foster system, with no intervention services, or steps taken to rehabilitate the child.

Sen. Carter says this bill would make that referral process and rendering of services mandatory.

“In the case of this nine-year-old, whose grandmother since last year has now been convicted and sent to prison for the failure to properly store the gun and keep it away from the nine-year-old, he is now, my understanding, devoid of a grandmother not living with his parents, likely in the system, in the foster system, and with no services,” said Sponsor Senator Jill Carter.

The family of Nykayla Strawder testified to the general assembly alongside Senator Carter, advocating once again for the passage of the law which passed the Senate Unanimously last session but faced opposition in the House.