Juveniles - Detention and Confinement - Limitations on Juvenile Contact With Incarcerated Adults

HB 389 prohibits holding juveniles (under 18) who are arrested, convicted, or awaiting trial for criminal charges in any facility where they might have contact with, see, or hear adults in jail or prison. It bans holding juveniles in adult correctional facilities except for up to six hours during processing if they are kept separated by sight and sound from adults and then transferred to a juvenile facility. The bill requires courts to place juveniles in secure juvenile facilities unless no space is available, the juvenile is released pretrial, or the court determines juvenile facility detention would pose a risk of harm. This law directly affects young people in Maryland's justice system who face criminal charges.