{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-human-services-9-238.1","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Human Services § 9–238.1","heading":"","body":"(a) The Department shall serve children in the juvenile services system with programming that:\n(1) ensures the safety of the community and the children served;\n(2) holds delinquent children accountable to victims and communities;\n(3) assists children to develop competencies to become successful members of society;\n(4) delivers services on a regional basis through at least four operational regions;\n(5) (i) ensures that each committed facility owned by the Department serves no more than 48 children at one time; and\n(ii) ensures that each committed facility licensed by the Department serves no more than 48 children at one time, unless the Secretary finds good cause for a committed facility licensed by the Department to serve more than 48 children at one time;\n(6) uses detention and committed facilities that are operationally separate from each other and that do not share common program space, including dining halls and educational or recreational facilities; and\n(7) provides females with a range and quality of services and programs to meet their specific needs, including:\n(i) diversion programs;\n(ii) community detention services and programs; and\n(iii) reentry services and programs.\n(b) A region shall:\n(1) include at least one secure facility used solely for children pending court disposition and children awaiting placement after disposition;\n(2) except for specialized services as provided in subsection (c) of this section, include a number of committed facilities estimated to be necessary to diagnose, care for, train, educate, and properly rehabilitate every child from the region in the custody of the Department; and\n(3) include a nonpublic facility only if the Department determines that the facility:\n(i) has provided or will efficiently and effectively provide adequate care for the children placed in the facility; and\n(ii) has demonstrated or will demonstrate a record of success based on standards promulgated by the Department.\n(c) The Department may place a child into a committed facility outside the child’s region if a determination is made by the Department that specialized services for the child require the placement in the best interests of the child.","path":["Article - Human Services"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=ghu\u0026section=9-238.1","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:17Z","sha256":"e2de9267a2d987142dece456fd1e25880df3de6f8419a73297c0a264b0b27e29","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-human-services-9-237","next":"us-md/md.-code-human-services-9-239"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}