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Volume 121 No. 41
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May 18, 2013 - May 18, 2013, The Afro-American
MAY 18, 2013 - MAY 24, 2013
Diversion Programs Offer Youth a Second Chance By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO
Diversion programs for youth offenders are blooming within area jurisdictions and are having a positive impact on the criminal justice system and on society, some officials and other experts said. “Diversion as an alternative to detention is a concept that has been around for 40 years, and it came about as the result of evidence showing that a young person’s involvement in the juvenile justice system makes things worse,” said Daniel Macallair, executive director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, a San Francisco-based nonpartisan nonprofit, whose aim is to reduce the reliance on incarceration. Most diversion programs focus on first-time
offenders who have committed misdemeanor crimes. The alternative approach helps them avoid the stigmatization that a criminal conviction would bring, advocates say. “They were developed to give young people a second chance on the belief that though people may mess up once, they may not mess up gain,” said Andrew Fois, deputy attorney general for the District of Columbia. “It prevents people from becoming chronic recidivists by giving them an incentive to leave the destructive path they may be on and get back on a law-abiding – Daniel Macallair path.” According to a study by the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA), most diversion screening criteria included prior criminal history, type of charge, substance abuse and mental health Continued on A3
“...an alternative to detention is a concept that has been around for 40 years...”
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Adrienne Washington Washington View
Politician and Jazz Lover Ike Dixon Dies at 90
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AFRO Interview: Actor Eriq La Salle
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By Krishana Davis AFRO Staff Writer Isaiah “Ike” Dixon Jr., 90, four-term veteran of the Maryland House of Delegates, community leader and political activist, died of heart failure at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium on April 26. In his four terms as a member of the House of
Delegates, representing Baltimore, he was known for his efforts at ensuring racial equality and spearheaded the effort to make cross-burning a felony. He is also remembered him as the son of a musician whose melodies helped to create a hub for jazz in the city. Baltimore-born and raised, Dixon attended public and parochial schools in the city. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in 1941 and enrolled at Howard University, where he played football. After college he served in the U.S. Army. Dixon had an affinity for politics and was elected to the House of Delegates in 1966. While Dixon helped to push a lot of legislation in the House, his most noted bill was a provision that changed cross burning from a misdemeanor to a felony. Maryland Delegate Melvin Stukes (D-44) said while he Continued on A3
Charm City Blues By Albert Phillips Special to the AFRO
It’s been a rough year for the image of Baltimore law enforcement and 2013 is not even half over. Consider: *May 9: A teenage prostitute is arrested in an undercover sting at a hotel near BWI. The man who allegedly drove her there was waiting outside. His identity? Her husband, a Baltimore police officer. He was charged with human trafficking. *April 25: A grand jury indictment about gangland corruption at the Baltimore City Detention Center is unsealed. Among those rounded up are four female corrections officers who were allegedly having sex with the inmates, including a female officer who is believed to have been twice impregnated by the gang’s leader. *March 11: A 17-year veteran Baltimore police detective pleads guilty to selling heroin and tipping off drug kingpins about possible police investigations. *Feb. 17: Two men, one a Baltimore firefighter, are arrested on charges of running
an online prostitution ring. If it were a television show, you could call it “Cops Allegedly Gone Wild.” Baltimore law enforcement administrators are baffled at the turn of events. The city police cases come only a few months after officials announced Jan. 28 the formation of a professional standards bureau. “This new Bureau will focus on employee conduct from the basics of written directives and Standard Operating Procedures, to a new General Accountability Office which will continue to proactively weed out noncompliant practices within the department,” said Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts in a release on the BPD’s website. Then came the string of cases which have put a cloud over the reputation of the city’s law enforcement corps. “The attitude of the police officers on the street is a reflection of the leadership at the top,” said Delacy Davis, founder of Black Cops Against Police Brutality (BCAP). “If the top sends a clear message that behavior outside of the law is unacceptable and intolerable,
National Police Week 2013
Heroes in Blue Honored By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer Baltimore Police Officer Forrest E. “Dino” Taylor, 44, had been on the department for 17 years when he died in August 2012 from complications related to injuries he suffered after an
automobile ran a red light and struck his patrol car in six months earlier. Morris was among 120 police officers nationwide who died last year who were remembered during National Police Week activities held this week in Washington D.C. The commemoration
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown Launches Bid to be Md. Governor By Krishana Davis Special to the AFRO
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown had thrown his hat into the contest to become the Maryland’s next governor and the first African American to reside in the governor’s mansion in Annapolis. He made the announcement at a May 10 a cookout in Prince George’s County. The event launched a weekend of campaigning that took him to Montgomery County, Frederick and Baltimore. His theme is “Making Maryland Better for All Marylander.” “I’m asking friends and neighbors from across the state to join me, as we build on successes and to take on the next challenges to make Maryland better,” said Brown. Brown, 51, has been endorsed by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who has
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Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown
been his political partner at the top of the state’s executive leadership since their election in 2006. Brown said, “Maryland is a great state because of the hard work that we’ve done to invest in new jobs, education and health care, but we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that no family is left behind.” Towson University political science professor John Bullock said that right now Brown is a front-runner and could win the 2014 gubernatorial election. “I think it’s a possibility,” said Bullock. “But I don’t think there’s any one particular front runner in this election.” Bullock said Brown, as a lieutenant governor, has acquired name recognition around the state, which is an advantage. He said as a sitting governor, O’Malley’s support Continued on A4
Copyright © 2013 by the Afro-American Company
kicked off with preliminary events the previous week, including the annual Blue Mass May 7 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Northwest and the Washington Area Law Enforcement Memorial Service on May 10. The big event of the official week, which runs through May 18, was a candlelight vigil on May 13 at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Judiciary Square, near D.C. police headquarters, in Northwest Washington. Authorities said names of 321 law enforcement officials from around the country were added to the memorial wall this year. Those men and women, including 201 who died in previous years, were recognized for their sacrifice in a poignant ceremony where United States Attorney General Eric Holder led the lighting of the candles and reading of the names of the fallen officers. As many as 20,000 people were estimated to have attended the vigil. They included officers, law enforcement officials, survivors of the fallen officers and their supporters. The event was shown via live Continued on A4