Remarks by Heather Warnken, Executive Director, Center for Criminal Justice Reform, University of Baltimore School of Law
Ms. Warnken articulated the core mission of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform,
underscoring its dedication to facilitating community-driven transformation within the criminal justice system. She commended the participants at the conference for their invaluable contributions to this critical endeavor, as they collectively challenged existing paradigms and inspired the next generation to continue effecting positive change.
Acknowledging the necessity of a diverse array of tools for such transformation, Ms. Warnken emphasized that the massive surge in the incarcerated population over the past half-century, from 2 million to 5 million under supervision, was not a response to an increase in crime. This expansion was described as fundamentally misguided and largely attributed to factors beyond crime rates (Kluckow & Zeng, 2022).
Furthermore, Ms. Warnken stressed that mass incarceration has proven ineffective in enhancing public safety, imposing significant human and fiscal costs. “Mass incarceration does not keep us safe,” she cautioned. Instead, the human and fiscal cost has left a trail of destruction in its wake and undermined our public safety. While Maryland has made commendable progress by reducing its prison population by 33 percent, the population remains nearly six times that of 50 years ago. (This estimate is based on a comparison of statistics: Langan et al., 1966 and Prison Policy Initiative, 2019). In Maryland and nationwide, reform is progressing too slowly.
This meeting must be grounded in uncomfortable truths about our state. Maryland sends more children to adult court than any other state, and 81 percent of those charged are Black. The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth found our state to be the worst in the nation. Maryland tries hundreds of juvenile defendants as adults. (WYPR News,
2023).
Maryland has one of the worst records of any state on compassionate release. (A bill to address this did not advance from committee, despite widespread support). The state continues to impose a lifetime ban on jury service for anyone who has spent a year or more in jail. The Trans Health Equity Act was never brought up for a vote. In a 2022 letter, the ACLU noted that in Maryland “people are held in harshest and most depraved conditions we have ever encountered” (ACLU, 2020). Maryland holds the sad distinction of being the first in the nation for over-incarceration of brown and Black people (Justice Policy Institute, 2019).
Ms. Warnken challenged the state to commit to policies rooted in evidence and respectful of dignity. She said she believed we now have a governor who is data-driven and heart-led, and we have committed partners in the room who recognize the urgency and importance of this work. The worst way we can leave someone behind is to put them in a cage.
