Maryland DJS ReWire

Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) will implement Incorporating Behavioral Interventions into Community Supervision (IBICS). a pilot project to design and refine a comprehensive set of community-based juvenile justice services that address all young people’s needs, regardless of their assessed risk level or readiness. DJS will incorporate into its service design and delivery structure young adult brain science, the stages of change, cognitive behavioral theory, and an appropriate incentives and redirection structure allowing young people to develop the skills necessary for long term behavioral change. The structured planning and systems change strategy will involve a significant shift in both operations and culture. The program will ensure that all staff gain an understanding of critical aspects of adolescent development, and that young people receive the tools and options they need to manage trauma, improve their own emotional regulation, alter behaviors, and ultimately, avoid recidivating.