Vincent Schiraldi resigns as Maryland DJS secretary, replacement appointed

Vincent Schiraldi stepped down as secretary of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) Monday after calls for his resignation. 

Gov. Wes Moore appointed Betsy Fox Tolentino as acting secretary of the department. Tolentino has 18 years of experience in criminal and juvenile justice advocacy, policy development and building systems, according to the governor's office.

Maryland DJS secretary steps down 

Schiraldi told WJZ he resigned and recommended Tolentino for the role. His last day with DJS is on June 20, while Tolentino will start on June 11.   

"Vinny Schiraldi brought decades of experience and innovative thinking to the task of running the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services," said Gov. Moore. "He put immense energy and effort into his work and moved important new efforts forward — to include the award-winning Thrive Academy -- and we thank him for his service."

Schiraldi said he told his supervisor a few weeks ago of his intent to resign, but they were looking for the right time. On Monday, he said, Gov. Moore's office informed him to resign.

"For some time, I've been considering moving on from the Department of Juvenile Services, and I was just looking for a good time to make that happen," Schiraldi said.

Who is Betsy Fox Tolentino?

Tolentino is currently the managing director of juvenile and young adult justice initiatives at the national nonprofit The Roca Impact Institute, where she leads the scaling and capacity-building of young adult justice projects with strategic regional and national partnerships, according to the mayor's office. 

In 2017, former mayor Catherine Pugh announced Roca was expanding into Baltimore. Roca is an intensive anti-violence program that helps the youth and young adults turn their lives around.

In April, WJZ reported on Marquis Milliner, who joined Roca seven years ago after he was incarcerated. According to Roca leaders, the program in Baltimore helped 451 people.

Tolentino had also served as the Maryland DJS Deputy Secretary of Community Operations. She volunteers with community-based organizations, serves on the Mentor MD/DC board of directors, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the mayor's office said.

"Ms. Tolentino's experience in successful operations at the Department of Juvenile Services will be important to the next phase of the work for the agency," said Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson. "Her organizational management skills will be an asset to reform. I look forward to meeting with her to gain a better understanding of her vision to enhance accountability, rehabilitation, and collaboration within the justice system for young people in Maryland."

Juvenile violence concerns in Baltimore

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott agreed with the decision of DJS to change leadership.

According to the CBS News Baltimore Gun Violence Tracker, in the past 12 months, 40 children younger than 17 have been shot, with six of them killed, in the city. The tracker also shows there have been 24 shootings within two blocks of Baltimore City schools during the academic year.

"Now we can focus on the work needed to fix our juvenile system that has been flawed and outdated for decades," Scott said. "Ms. Tolentino is a well-respected leader in the juvenile justice space and will be able to hit the ground running as we work to build a system that works in its entirety, something Maryland has lacked for at least a generation."

Calls for Schiraldi's resignation

On Oct. 1, 2024, the Joint Republican Caucus sent a letter to Gov. Moore, calling for the removal of Secretary Schiraldi from his position.

Maryland Del. Jesse Pippy blamed the DJS after a 17-year-old with a criminal history was arrested at Howard High School on a murder charge.

The student is being charged as an adult for the murder of 26-year-old Kendrick McLellan, who was found shot to death in a vehicle behind an office building on Oct. 10, 2024.  

Some Maryland lawmakers launched online petitions and demanded that Schiraldi step down. 

"He presided over widespread failures: violent juveniles released with no real supervision, repeated contract mismanagement, dangerous missteps in ankle monitoring, and frontline staff left to fend for themselves," Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said Monday. "But just as damaging was his refusal to work with anyone. Law enforcement, state's attorneys, local leaders, legislators, all lost confidence in his leadership."

In an interview with WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren, Schiraldi said he's "got no plans on going anywhere" after pushes for him to resign.

Schiraldi told WJZ on Monday that he received criticism because state lawmakers wanted to lock the teens up for committing crimes, rather than for rehabilitation.

"This is right out of the mass incarceration playbook: lots of politicians thumping their chests and vilifying kids and saying we should lock more of them up," Schiraldi said.

Some politicians were not satisfied with Schiraldi's departure. 

"Removing Schiraldi is just step one," said Hershey. "We need a full overhaul of the department -- new leadership, real operational experience, a commitment to public safety, and above all, accountability."

Allegations of DJS failures

In May, an audit revealed scathing allegations of failures within the DJS.

Among the issues reported by the Department of Legislative Services was that DJS did not conduct thorough background checks for its contractors who were providing youth care services.

The audit revealed that an employee working for a DJS contractor was a convict who may have been ineligible to work. As of January, that employee was still there. The report also pointed out some financial problems and an issue with how DJS handled cybersecurity concerns over three years.

Schiraldi said many of the issues highlighted in the report preceded him and his team. 

Positives with DJS

Schiraldi told WJZ that the DJS did important work during his more than two-year tenure as secretary.

The 66-year-old touted more children in the system getting employment, the Thrive Academy, which rehabilitates and supports at-risk youth, and the Safer Stronger Together program.

Schiraldi also said there is a 28.8% decline in referrals to DJS.