Take Action: Copy and paste the letter below and email it directly to Governor O’Malley:
Email address: [email protected]
Dear Governor O’Malley:
I am writing to urge you to safeguard Maryland’s youth from rape in adult jails and prisons.
With PREA compliance audits starting in September; it is imperative that Maryland take action and implement PREA’s Youthful Inmate Standards. Each year over 700 youth are detained or incarcerated in adult jails and prisons where they are at the greatest risk of sexual assault and rape of all inmates.
It is difficult to keep youth safe when they are housed in adult detention and correctional facilities. It is also dangerous to segregate and isolate youth, the common “solution” to keep them from being assaulted in adult jails and prisons.
Please safeguard Maryland’s youth by removing youth from adult detention and correctional facilities all together, and place them with their peers in juvenile detention facilities. This is the only solution for successful implementation of PREA’s Youthful Inmate Standard.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
