Maryland's Job Opportunities Task Force has released a new report title "The Criminalization of Poverty: How to break the cycle through policy reform in Maryland." The 104-page document details how Maryland policies perpetuate the criminalization of its most vulnerable residents.
The report found that Maryland is criminalizing poverty in numerous ways:
Debtors' Prisons
Law Enforcement Policies
The Cash Bail System
Limited Expungement
JOTF examines how these policies, and more, disparately impact the poor and people of color, creating a vicious cycle of poverty that has been criminalized through Maryland's current laws.