A state senator has introduced bills to create independent oversight of juvenile programs and set up state-regulated, regional facilities after the death of a student at a private juvenile facility.
“The fact that someone died is horrible, but we are always on the edge of something really bad happening to one of our kids,” said Baltimore County Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-District 11, who introduced bills this week after the death of Isaiah Simmons III, a student at Bowling Brook Preparatory Academy in Keymar, Carroll County.
Zirkin?s bills would:
» Move the supervision of privately run facilities from the Department of Juvenile Services? Office of Professional Responsibility and Accountability to the Attorney General?s Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit;
» Set up state-run facilities strategically placed throughout the state so youths would be closer to their families, who could participate in their rehabilitation.
Carroll County Sheriff?s spokesman Lt. Phil Kasten said he couldn?t comment on the investigation into the Jan. 23 event when staff restrained Simmons until he died.
