BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services is committing up to $4.6 million over three years to a nonprofit hired to mentor and support young people involved in the juvenile justice system.
The contract with the P.E.A.C.E. Team was approved by the Board of Public Works in April. It calls for “community-based credible messenger mentoring, support and life enrichment services” in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, and Prince George’s County.
But FOX45 News’ review of court records, tax filings and budget documents raised questions about the organization’s track record, its staffing and how DJS will measure whether the program succeeds.
ALSO READ | DJS data sparks questions about detention factors for young people
The contract comes as prosecutors continue to criticize the services available through the juvenile justice system.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates has called Maryland’s juvenile justice system “broken from top to bottom.”
“We need to stop saying we’re focusing on the crime,” Bates previously told FOX45 News In Depth with Mikenzie Frost. “We need to treat the actual young people. The system needs to focus on young people instead of the charges.”
In Calvert County, State’s Attorney Robert Harvey has raised concerns about programming and secure-placement capacity after a 13-year-old found guilty in a rape case was placed on probation and electronic monitoring. The teenager was later taken back into custody after a probation violation.
“They don’t have adequate resources. They don’t have the programs. They don’t have the facilities. They definitely don’t have the secure facilities,” Harvey said.
DJS Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino disputes that the agency lacks services, telling FOX45 News it has expanded its programming.
“We’ve brought in a lot of new services over the past two years,” Tolentino said. “Just here in Baltimore City, we’ve added $10 million into the service continuum to have additional capacity and make sure our young people have options that meet their needs.”
DJS is budgeted to spend $46.5 million on youth programming in fiscal year 2027, including care services and education programming contracted to private vendors, according to the Department of Legislative Services. The budget analysis says the agency has $10.55 million budgeted this year for its Enhance Services Continuum, which includes credible-messenger programs.
The P.E.A.C.E. Team is led by Eric Brown, who pleaded guilty in federal court in 2011 to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise connected to the Black Guerrilla Family, or BGF.
Federal prosecutors said Brown had been a BGF leader who enforced discipline and directed and participated in the gang’s drug-trafficking activity. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years of supervised release. A federal release announcing the sentence said Brown’s plea related to a racketeering conspiracy.
The original 2009 indictment described BGF as active in Maryland prisons and “the streets of Baltimore City and elsewhere.” It alleged gang members engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, robberies, assaults and murder. Brown ultimately pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy charge.
Court records show Brown’s sentence was later reduced to 135 months, and he was released from federal custody in July 2019. In August of that year, Brown filed paperwork with the state to create the P.E.A.C.E. Team.
The most recent federal tax filing, a 2024 990, lists Brown’s salary at $215,000. The filing identifies Brown as the organization’s only trustee, director or officer. It also reports the group had 11 employees and had worked with Baltimore City schools, “providing resources for over 1,600 students.” The filing does not identify those employees.
ALSO READ | FOX45 questions Senate President, DJS about monitoring of young people under supervision
The credible-messenger model often relies on mentors with lived experience to connect with young people who may not respond to traditional systems. FOX45 News asked DJS how P.E.A.C.E. was selected, what work it had done with young people before winning the contract, which employees will work with DJS-involved youth, and whether the agency reviewed Brown’s criminal history during its vetting.
FOX45 News also asked how many young people have been referred to P.E.A.C.E., how much money has been paid so far, and what specific benchmarks DJS will use to evaluate the group’s performance.
Tolentino has said DJS tracks outcomes for young people it supervises, including recidivism, re-arrests, re-adjudications and reincarcerations.
“We track that on our outcomes for young people on probation,” she said.
It remains unclear whether DJS will use those same measures to evaluate P.E.A.C.E. and other contracted providers receiving public money. A spokesperson indicated DJS was working to respond to the questions, but did not provide the information to FOX45 News by deadline.
Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.
Local Story
