The Youth at the Baltimore City Detention Center
The Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC) houses individuals pretrial or serving a sentence of six months or less. The youth housed in this facility are facing adult charges and are awaiting trial.
• 70% of these youth released from BCDC are sent back into their communities, without any resources from Department of Juvenile Services or Department of Corrections.
• There are 105-115 of these youth housed in BCDC at any given time.
• On average, youth are housed in BCDC for 7 months with minimal programming to fill their time.
Supervised Mental Health Graduate Students:
• Create discharge and life plans, beginning the moment a youth enters BCDC.
• Provide youth with one on one mental health services for two hours a week.
• Create family plans with the youth with the goal of strengthening the family.
• Lead various groups which will provide youth with creative outlets, life skills, and group cohesiveness.
Non– Profit and After Care Providers:
• Work to ensure an easy transition from release to aftercare.
• Lead various sessions promoting and providing youth with tools to create new lives.
• Receive youth’s discharge plan, upon youth’s release from the graduate student.
The Youth:
• Receive mental health and case management services continuously while at BCDC and upon this release into the community.
• Help create and design their discharge and family plans.
• Receive mentors and are in constant contact with aftercare providers.
• Are given the resources to start a new life and stay positive.
When Youth Are Released into theCommunity
• They will graduate from Hand in Hand with a certificate and discharge plan.
• They will be referred to a Hand In Hand partner, who will take on their case the moment they are released.
• Enter their new life and aftercare facility with individualized and personally created plans.
• Come back to mentor other youth.
Click here to download a powerpoint presentation of our project proposal.