The Baltimore City Detention Center holds the distinction of being among the largest and oldest jails in the country, and it incarcerates the highest percentage of the city's population when compared to other large jails, according to Baltimore Behind Bars: How to Reduce the Jail Population, Save Money and Improve Public Safety—a new report by the Justice Policy Institute.
On any given day, there are about 4,000 people held at the jail, many of whom have been charged with nonviolent offenses and are waiting for their day in court. The authors of the report, Nastassia Walsh and Tracy Velázquez, will present their findings and discuss recommendations on how city and state policy makers could enhance their current efforts and take additional steps to reduce the jail population in a manner that saves tax dollars and maintains safe communities.
The Justice Policy Institute is a nonprofit research and public policy organization dedicated to reducing society’s reliance on incarceration and promoting fair and effective solutions to social problems. It has authored several reports about criminal justice issues in Maryland, including Bearing Witness: Baltimore City’s Residents Give Voice to What’s Needed to Fix the Criminal Justice System and The Release Valve: Parole in Maryland.
Speakers
- Diana Morris, director of OSI-Baltimore (opening remarks and introductions)
- Monique Dixon, director of Criminal and Juvenile Justice at OSI-Baltimore (opening remarks and introductions)
- Tracy Velázquez, executive director, Justice Policy Institute
- Nastassia Walsh, research associate, Justice Policy Institute
- Adrian Muldrow, director and co-founder of We Can Achieve and assistant director of the Druid Heights Community Development Corporation