Sec. 01.01.2020.01. Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (Rescinds Executive Order 01.01.2005.34, Executive Order 01.01.2005.36, Executive Order 01.01.2006.03, and Executive Order 01.01.2007.04)

I. In this Executive Order, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

A. “Deputy Director” means the Deputy Director of the Children and Youth Division.

B. “Division” means the Children and Youth Division.

C. “Executive Director” means the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.

D. “Fund” means the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund.

E. “Office” means the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.

F. “Plan” means the three-year plan prepared and annually updated by the Children’s Cabinet.

II. Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.

A. There is a Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.

B. Executive Director.

i. The Office shall be managed by an Executive Director who:

a. Is responsible for the daily operation and administration of the Office; and

b. Is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Governor.

ii. The Executive Director shall:

a. Advise the Governor on crime control and prevention and victim services;

b. Represent the Governor on boards, commissions, and councils as directed by the Governor or as required by law; and

c. To promote public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services within Maryland, coordinate interagency activities throughout the State and with:

1. Local and federal governments;

2. Local, regional, and federal counterpart organizations;

3. Private nonprofit organizations; and

4. The public.

d. Ensure that the State is a full and active partner in federal crime control, victim services, and prevention grants and programs; and

e. Leverage federal initiatives and innovations.

C. The Office shall be comprised of professional staff appointed by the Governor and as provided for in the State budget.

D. The Office shall:

i. Direct and coordinate:

a. Interagency and intergovernmental public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services policies and programs within the State, paying special attention to key linkages between federal, State, regional, subdivision, and local activities; and

b. The application, allocation, and use federal and State funds designated for services to victims and witnesses of crimes, and facilitate the delivery of such services;

ii. Advise and provide recommendations to the Governor:

a. About policies, strategies, legislation, budgets, and measures to improve public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services and youth programs within the State; and

b. To streamline existing committees, commissions, agencies, or departments to prevent redundancy or enhance efficiency;

iii. With the cooperation and collaboration of appropriate State units, prepare a three-year Comprehensive State Crime Control and Prevention Plan, which shall be:

a. Submitted to the Governor by December 1, 2020; and

b. Annually updated;

iv. Serve as the State unit:

a. Designated as the state administering agency for the U.S. Department of Justice in the application for, and administration of, federal and State funds for public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services programs; and

b. Administratively responsible for the preparation, management, and reporting functions with respect to the State plan required by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act;

v. Assign staff to the Juvenile Grant Planning and Review Council as the designated juvenile justice specialist required by federal law and regulations to perform functions that ensure compliance with federal standards for detention of juveniles in secure detention facilities or correctional facilities;

vi. Provide technical assistance for the public safety and crime control and prevention activities and programs of State and local units of government, private nonprofit organizations, and local communities;

vii. Encourage coordinated local crime control and prevention plans; and

viii. Perform such additional duties as may be assigned by the Governor.

III. Maryland Statistical Analysis Center.

A. There is a Maryland Statistical Analysis Center within the Office.

B. The Maryland Statistical Analysis Center shall:

i. In regards to State and local data on public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services:

a. Coordinate its collection and analysis with State and local units of government;

b. Ensure its timeliness and accuracy;

c. Interpret and utilize it; and

d. Provide and coordinate its sharing with the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics and other units of federal and state governments;

ii. Produce statistical reports on public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services;

iii. Coordinate, and provide to State and local agencies:

a. research, technical assistance, and statistics about public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services; and

b. appropriate access to federal resources with statistical information about public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services;

iv. Promote the development of systems that track statistics for public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services in Maryland;

v. Serve as an information center and repository for data and documents about public safety, crime control and prevention, and victim services programs;

vi. Provide support to the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board; and

vii. Perform such additional duties as may be assigned by the Governor.

IV. Children’s Cabinet.

A. There is a Children’s Cabinet administered by the Office.

B. Membership and Procedures.

i. The Cabinet shall consist of:

a. The Secretary of Budget and Management;

b. The Secretary of Disabilities;

c. The Secretary of Health;

d. The Secretary of Human Services;

e. The Secretary of Juvenile Services;

f. The State Superintendent of Schools; and

g. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services Executive Director or the Director’s designee.

ii. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services Executive Director or the Director’s designee shall serve as Chairperson and be responsible for the administration and operation of the Children’s Cabinet.

iii. The Children’s Cabinet shall meet at the call of the Chairperson no less than six times per year.

iv. The Office shall provide staff to the Children’s Cabinet as necessary.

C. The Children’s Cabinet shall:

i. Develop and implement coordinated State policies to improve the health and welfare of children and families;

ii. Promote a stable, safe, and healthy environment in Maryland for children and families;

iii. Provide a regular forum for State agencies responsible for meeting and developing coordinated policy recommendations to the Governor;

iv. Prepare and annually update a three-year Plan that:

a. Establishes priorities and strategies for the coordinated delivery of State interagency services to children and families;

b. Includes best practices for implementation of systems of care that:

1. Are child-centered and family-focused;

2. Are based on individual strengths and needs; and

3. Provide services in the least restrictive setting.

c. Is coordinated with any other approved State plans relating to services for children and families; and

v. Establish a committee to perform the functions of the State Coordinating Council for Children.

V. The Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund.

A. The Children’s Cabinet may accept federal grants or allocations for the benefit of and to be appropriated, transferred, credited, or paid into the Fund.

B. The Children’s Cabinet shall review and approve applications for grants from the Fund.

C. Disbursements from the Fund shall:

i. Be made to local subdivisions that have local management boards; and

ii. Reflect the priorities set forth in the Plan or set by the Office of the Governor.

D. The Children’s Cabinet shall ensure that all programs funded by the Fund are implemented in accordance with the Plan and the policies and procedures adopted pursuant to this Executive Order.

VI. Children and Youth Division.

A. There is a Children and Youth Division within the Office.

B. The Division shall be managed by a Deputy Director who is:

i. Primarily responsible for developing and coordinating the delivery of interagency State government services to children and families;

ii. Appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Executive Director; and

iii. Subject to the authority of the Executive Director.

C. The Division shall be comprised of:

i. Professional staff appointed by the Executive Director; and

ii. Professional staff liaisons from State units.

D. The Division shall:

i. Adopt a coordinated, comprehensive, interagency approach to the development of a continuum of care that:

a. Is family- and child-oriented; and

b. Emphasizes prevention, early intervention, and community-based services with special attention to at-risk populations;

ii. Inform and support the collective and specific work of the Children’s Cabinet;

iii. Promote values, policies, and practices that continually advance the well-being of Maryland’s children and families;

iv. Partner with local management boards to plan, coordinate, and monitor the delivery of integrated services along the full continuum of care; and

v. Assist the Children’s Cabinet in the allocation of any funds assigned to the Children’s Cabinet for distribution as grants to any State agency, local government or organization, local management board, or private organization.

E. The Division shall report to the Governor annually by December 15 on the status of:

i. Children in Maryland; and

ii. The efforts to meet the policy goals of the State for services to children and families.

VII. Except as otherwise provided by law or this Executive Order, all existing policies and procedures, contracts, property, and other duties and responsibilities associated with the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, the Maryland Statistical Analysis Center, the Office for Children, and the Children’s Cabinet shall continue in effect under the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services unless completed, withdrawn, cancelled, or modified or otherwise changed pursuant to law.

VIII. In any other executive order:

A. “Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention” means its successor agency, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services;

B. “Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention” means its successor official, the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services;

C. “Governor’s Office for Children” means its successor agency, the Division of Children and Youth of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services; and

D. “Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Children” means its successor official, the Deputy Director of the Division of Children and Youth of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.

IX. All units of the State subject to the control and direction of the Governor are authorized and directed to cooperate with, and provide such data and other information as may be allowed by law, to the Executive Director for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this Executive Order.

X. This Executive Order may not be construed to alter the designation of, or grant of authority to, any unit of State or local government for the purposes of federal law.

Effective date: January 17, 2020