Maryland Code § CJ-3-8A-15

Section CJ-3-8A-15
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(a) Only the court or an intake officer may authorize detention, community
detention, or shelter care for a child who may be in need of supervision or delinquent.
(b) (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, if a child is
taken into custody under this subtitle, the child may be placed in detention or
community detention prior to a hearing if:
(i) Such action is required to protect the child or others; or
(ii) The child is likely to leave the jurisdiction of the court.
(2) (i) In this paragraph, "risk scoring instrument" means a tool,
a metric, an algorithm, or software that:

1. Is used to assist in determining the eligibility of a
child for release before a hearing; and
2. Has been independently validated at least once in
the preceding 5 years.
(ii) The court or an intake officer shall consider the results of
a risk scoring instrument before placing a child in detention.
(3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a child
alleged to have committed a delinquent act may not be placed in detention before a
hearing if the most serious offense would be a misdemeanor if committed by an adult,
unless:
1. The act would be a violation of § 4-203 or § 4-204 of
the Criminal Law Article or a violation of § 5-133, § 5-134, § 5-138, § 5-142, § 5-
203, or § 5-703 of the Public Safety Article if committed by an adult;
2. The child has been adjudicated delinquent at least
twice in the preceding 2 years; or
3. A. The child was under the supervision of the
Department of Juvenile Services when the alleged act occurred; and
B. The alleged act, if committed by an adult, would be
subject to a penalty of imprisonment of more than 2 years and would not constitute
assault in the second degree under § 3-203 of the Criminal Law Article.
(ii) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, a child
under the age of 13 may not be placed in detention if:
1. The act would be a violation of § 4-203 or § 4-204 of
the Criminal Law Article or a violation of § 5-133, § 5-134, § 5-138, § 5-142, § 5-
203, or § 5-703 of the Public Safety Article; and
2. The child has not previously been adjudicated
delinquent for an act that would be a violation § 4-203 or § 4-204 of the Criminal
Law Article or a violation of § 5-133, § 5-134, § 5-138, § 5-142, § 5-203, or § 5-703
of the Public Safety Article.
(c) A child taken into custody under this subtitle may be placed in
emergency shelter care or community detention prior to a hearing if:

(1) (i) Such action is required to protect the child or person and
property of others;
(ii) The child is likely to leave the jurisdiction of the court; or
(iii) There is no parent, guardian, or custodian or other person
able to provide supervision and care for the child and return the child to the court
when required; and
(2) (i) 1. Continuation of the child in the child's home is
contrary to the welfare of the child; and
2. Removal of the child from the child's home is
reasonable under the circumstances due to an alleged emergency situation and in
order to provide for the safety of the child; or
(ii) 1. Reasonable but unsuccessful efforts have been made
to prevent or eliminate the need for removal from the child's home; and
2. As appropriate, reasonable efforts are being made to
return the child to the child's home.
(d) (1) If the child is not released, the intake officer or the official who
authorized detention, community detention, or shelter care under this section shall
immediately file a petition to authorize continued detention, community detention,
or shelter care.
(2) A hearing on the petition shall be held not later than the next
court day, unless extended for no more than 5 days by the court upon good cause
shown.
(3) Reasonable notice, oral or written, stating the time, place, and
purpose of the hearing, shall be given to the child and, if they can be found, the child's
parents, guardian, or custodian.
(4) Except as provided in paragraph (5) of this subsection, shelter
care may not be ordered for a period of more than 30 days unless an adjudicatory or
waiver hearing is held.
(5) For a child in need of supervision or a delinquent child, shelter
care may be extended for an additional period of not more than 30 days if the court
finds after a hearing held as part of the adjudication that continued shelter care is
consistent with the circumstances stated in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

(6) (i) An adjudicatory or waiver hearing shall be held no later
than 30 days after the date a petition for detention or community detention is
granted.
(ii) If a child is detained or placed in community detention
after an adjudicatory hearing, a disposition hearing shall be held no later than 14
days after the adjudicatory hearing.
(iii) Detention or community detention time may be extended
in increments of not more than 14 days where the petition charges the child with a
delinquent act and where the court finds, after a subsequent hearing, that extended
detention or community detention is necessary either:
1. For the protection of the child; or
2. For the protection of the community.
(e) (1) Detention or community detention may not be continued beyond
emergency detention or community detention unless, upon an order of court after a
hearing, the court has found that one or more of the circumstances stated in
subsection (b) of this section exist.
(2) A court order under this paragraph shall:
(i) Contain a written determination of whether or not the
criteria contained in subsection (c)(1) and (2) of this section have been met; and
(ii) Specify which of the circumstances stated in subsection (b)
of this section exist.
(3) (i) If the court has not specifically prohibited community
detention, the Department of Juvenile Services may release the child from detention
into community detention and place the child in:
1. Shelter care; or
2. The custody of the child's parent, guardian,
custodian, or other person able to provide supervision and care for the child and to
return the child to court when required.
(ii) If a child who has been released by the Department of
Juvenile Services or the court into community detention violates the conditions of
community detention, and it is necessary to protect the child or others, an intake
officer may authorize the detention of the child.

(iii) The Department of Juvenile Services shall promptly notify
the court of:
1. The release of a child from detention under
subparagraph (i) of this paragraph; or
2. The return to detention of a child under
subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph.
(iv) 1. If a child is returned to detention under
subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the intake officer who authorized detention shall
immediately file a petition to authorize continued detention.
2. A hearing on the petition to authorize continued
detention shall be held no later than the next court day, unless extended for no more
than 5 days by the court on good cause shown.
3. Reasonable notice, oral or written, stating the time,
place, and purpose of the hearing, shall be given to the child and, if they can be
located, the child's parents, guardian, or custodian.
(f) (1) Shelter care may only be continued beyond emergency shelter
care if the court has found that:
(i) Continuation of the child in the child's home is contrary to
the welfare of the child; and
(ii) 1. Removal of the child from the child's home is
necessary due to an alleged emergency situation and in order to provide for the safety
of the child; or
2. Reasonable but unsuccessful efforts were made to
prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the home.
(2) (i) If the court continues shelter care on the basis of an alleged
emergency, the court shall assess whether the absence of efforts to prevent removal
was reasonable.
(ii) If the court finds that the absence of efforts to prevent
removal was not reasonable, the court shall make a written determination so stating.

(3) The court shall make a determination as to whether reasonable
efforts are being made to make it possible to return the child to the child's home or
whether the absence of such efforts is reasonable.
(g) A child alleged to be delinquent may not be detained in a jail or other
facility for the detention of adults.
(h) (1) A child alleged to be in need of supervision may not be placed in:
(i) Detention or community detention;
(ii) A State mental health facility; or
(iii) A shelter care facility that is not operating in compliance
with applicable State licensing laws.
(2) Subject to paragraph (1)(iii) of this subsection, a child alleged to
be in need of supervision may be placed in shelter care facilities maintained or
approved by the Social Services Administration or the Department of Juvenile
Services or in a private home or shelter care facility approved by the court.
(3) The Secretary of Human Services and the Secretary of Juvenile
Services together, when appropriate, with the Secretary of Health shall jointly adopt
regulations to ensure that any child placed in shelter care pursuant to a petition filed
under subsection (d) of this section be provided appropriate services, including:
(i) Health care services;
(ii) Counseling services;
(iii) Education services;
(iv) Social work services; and
(v) Drug and alcohol abuse assessment or treatment services.
(4) In addition to any other provision, the regulations shall require:
(i) The Department of Juvenile Services to develop a plan
within 45 days of placement of a child in a shelter care facility to assess the child's
treatment needs; and
(ii) The plan to be submitted to all parties to the petition and
their counsel.

(i) The intake officer or the official who authorized detention, community
detention, or shelter care under this subtitle shall immediately give written notice of
the authorization for detention, community detention, or shelter care to the child's
parent, guardian, or custodian and to the court. The notice shall be accompanied by
a statement of the reasons for taking the child into custody and placing him in
detention, community detention, or shelter care. This notice may be combined with
the notice required under subsection (d) of this section.
(j) (1) If a child is alleged to have committed a delinquent act, the court
or a juvenile intake officer shall consider including, as a condition of releasing the
child pending an adjudicatory or disposition hearing, reasonable protections for the
safety of the alleged victim.
(2) If a victim has requested reasonable protections for safety, the
court or juvenile intake officer shall consider including, as a condition of releasing the
child pending an adjudicatory or disposition hearing, provisions regarding no contact
with the alleged victim or the alleged victim's premises or place of employment.
(k) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if a child
remains in a facility used for detention, the Department of Juvenile Services shall:
(i) Within 14 days after the child's initial detention, appear at
a hearing before the court with the child to explain the reasons for continued
detention; and
(ii) Every 14 days thereafter, appear at another hearing before
the court with the child to explain the reasons for continued detention.
(2) A hearing required under this subsection may be waived one time
on the consent of the court, the State's Attorney, and counsel for the child.
(l) Within 10 days after a decision to detain a child under this subtitle in a
facility used for detention, the Department of Juvenile Services shall submit a plan
to the court for releasing the child into the community.

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