![[photo, Metropolitan Transition Center (formerly Maryland Penitentiary), from lower Forrest St., Baltimore, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/22dpscs/images/i004376a.jpg)
Persons convicted of a crime in Maryland may be sentenced to imprisonment in a State correctional facility. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services operates 26 correctional facilites, as well as the Patuxent Institution (providing specialized treatment), the Central Booking and Intake Center, and the Baltimore City Detention Center.
Metropolitan Transition Center (formerly Maryland Penitentiary), view from lower Forrest St., Baltimore, Maryland, January 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
The State also administers programs which are sentencing alternatives to imprisonment, including boot camp, home detention, intensive supervision, and day reporting.
Persons under age 18 who are charged with a crime generally are within the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system. Maryland's juvenile justice system is the responsibility of the Department of Juvenile Services. The Department provides care and treatment for youths who have broken the law or who are adjudicated a danger to themselves or others. For young offenders, the least restrictive setting is preferred, but for serious and chronic offenders, secure institutional detention is a viable sentencing option.
For certain crimes, youths may be tried and sentenced as adults. As of July 2002, some 77 individuals under age 18 were inmates in a State correctional facility for adult offenders.
In Maryland, victims of crimes are offered a range of services throughout the criminal justice process. Notification on the status of cases in criminal court, pretrial conferences, court accompaniment, and crisis intervention are provided in most counties by the State's Attorney's Office. Within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, victims services units provide information about the detention and release of offenders and their whereabouts. They also advise victims how to obtain financial compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
For victims of juvenile crimes, the Department of Juvenile Services provides direct assistance. It also considers their emotional, physical and financial needs when resolving cases. Often, young offenders are required to reimburse the victim directly for losses resulting from their delinquent acts.
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