Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative to address mass incarceration of African Americans

By Lisa Robinson

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    BOWIE, Maryland (WBAL) — Maryland’s attorney general and public defender are joining forces to fight mass incarcerations.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue for a news conference on Wednesday to announce the creation of the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, an initiative dedicated to reducing the mass incarceration of African Americans and other marginalized groups.

The state officials said Maryland incarcerates the highest percentage of African Americans in the country.

“As a Black man in America, the father of three Black men, young adults, I say to you today, that the over incarceration, the mass incarceration of Black men and women in Maryland is a crisis,” Brown said.

Brown said African Americans comprise about 30% of the state’s population but make up 72% of the state’s prison population. He said it’s a crisis that has largely gone unnoticed.

The goal for the initiative is to examine the scope and causes of mass incarceration.

“Sentences for Black individuals are substantially higher than those imposed on white individuals for the very same offenses — nearly 10% of people serving sentences for more than 10 years are Black,” Dartigue said.

The collaboration hopes to develop a comprehensive plan for reform and recommendations by January 2025.

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