Maryland Report Card

Maryland scored an F in the 2022 Shared Hope International Report cards.

The Project

Since 2011, Shared Hope has laid the foundation for transformational policy, practice, and cultural change by supporting state legislators and stakeholders to enact the minimum fabric of laws needed to address child sex trafficking. The Report Cards on Child & Youth Sex Trafficking build upon the last decade of progress, challenging states to take the next step in the fight against sex trafficking by focusing on the area where the largest gaps remain—victim protections. These materials provide an in-depth analysis of current laws and include recommendations to strengthen those laws.

Maryland Report Card Issue Highlights

Maryland Criminal Provisions

Policy goals accomplished in areas related to buyer and trafficker accountability under state CSEC laws, mistake of age defenses, and decoy defenses. Gaps remain in areas related to buyer accountability under the trafficking law, business entity liability under the trafficking law, and financial penalties.

Maryland Identification of and Response to Victims

Policy goals accomplished in areas related to screening through child welfare and child abuse definitions. Gaps remain in areas related to third party control, foreign national victims, screening through the juvenile justice system, non-criminalization for prostitution offenses, expanded non-criminalization, juvenile court jurisdiction, and non-familial trafficking cases.

Maryland Continuum of Care

Policy goals accomplished in areas related to community-based services, services through child welfare and the juvenile justice system, and appropriations. Gaps remain in areas related to MDT responses and extended foster care services.

Access to Justice for Trafficking survivors in Maryland

Gaps remain in all areas, including civil orders of protection, crime victims’ compensation, vacatur, restitution, civil remedies, and statutes of limitation.

Tools for a Victim-Centered Criminal Justice response in Maryland

Gaps remain in all areas, including hearsay exceptions, alternatives to live, in-court testimony, victim supports, and privileged communications.

Prevention and Training in Maryland

Policy goal accomplished related to training for law enforcement. Gaps remain in areas related to training for child welfare juvenile justice agencies, prosecutors, and school personnel as well as prevention education in schools.

Supporting Youth (18+) in Maryland

Protection related to services through a non-punitive system is extended to sex trafficked youth.

Laws regarding Child Labor Trafficking in Maryland

N/A

Maryland Download Library

Shared Hope International continues to deploy new law review, grading, and analysis packages from November 2022 through February 2023.

2021: Report Card | Law Analysis
State Ratings under the Protected Innocence Challenge (previous framework 2011-2019) can be found here.

Download the Complete Toolkit

Get each state’s report card and analysis conveniently packaged in our 2022 Report Cards Toolkit. Download the Full Toolkit (20MB)

Legislative Technical Assistance

For legislators and partner non-profits that assist elected officials in creating legislation, request a consultation with our Policy Team. We will set up a meeting to discuss your legislative goals and create a customized goal for ongoing technical assistance, bill drafting services, and legislative support.
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