A group of first-time felony drug offenders will get the chance for a clean slate and job training under a new program that Baltimore's top prosecutor said will ease a cycle of incarceration and unemployment.
The Aim to B'More program for people convicted of nonviolent crimes will place 30 participants on three years of probation. State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby's office will help expunge their records if they complete the program, which also requires community service, a five-month internship and finding employment.
Mosby said young people seeking "instant gratification" don't always realize that a felony conviction on their record can prevent them from getting a job or housing.
"So what other recourse do they have but to go out doing what they were doing in the first place?" she said as she announced the program Thursday at the Center for Urban Families in Mondawmin. "I can tell you as the state's attorney for Baltimore City, this presents a public safety concern."
Participants in Aim to B'More will attend the center's STRIVE program, which teaches job-readiness and other skills.
Mosby said the court system is clogged with cases and that she wants to focus on prosecuting violent offenders. Those in Aim to B'More will receive probation before judgment.
"I would prefer to utilize the inundated courts for the worst of the worst and give our young people a second chance at redemption," Mosby said. "People talk about Baltimore's crime problem, but what isn't talked about is the real issue at hand: systemic poverty."
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More waste of tax dollars. They are criminals because they are poor. They are poor because they didn't stay in school and graduate. They didn't stay in school because they didn't have any motivation. What makes anyone think that they now will be motivated enough to learn enough to gain a skill and get and keep a job.
ReplyDeleteIt is a way to lower crime stats, erase the numbers, ask Duncan how many numbers were changed in their program.
ReplyDelete10:00 - they also probably didn't have a family unit either.
ReplyDeleteBetween lowering the crime statistics number with this new method of cooking the books and not holding criminals accountable....we're allowing a certain portion of society get a free pass....are they going to do the same for other 'ethnic' groups?!
ReplyDeleteAnother avenue to distribute "DRUGS".
ReplyDeleteWould this act as a probation time if they don't complete program they serve a minimum of 5 years.