December 1, 2023

25 Accomplishments

Reduced school suspensions by 74% by advocating to rewrite the overly punitive Baltimore City code of conduct, and funding alternatives to student suspension over several years.  Addressing harsh and inequitable discipline practices, this work reversed the devastating impact of out-of-school suspensions on student achievement, gradation rates, juvenile arrests, and post-graduation success. Supported and encouraged community-based organizations to […]

Areas of Impact

Addiction and Health Equity Tackled health disparities, particularly regarding drug use, to reduce inequitable outcomes for community members. Launched the Baltimore Buprenorphine Initiative, introducing a new evidence-based treatment for individuals addicted to opioids.  Grew a local harm reduction movement that has spread across the state and greatly increased the availability of overdose prevention services.  Led […]

July 29, 2021

Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program

OSI-Baltimore’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program seeks to reduce the use of incarceration and its social and economic costs without compromising public safety, and promote justice systems that are fair, are used as a last resort, and offer second chances. It supports advocacy, public education, research, grassroots organizing, litigation and demonstration projects that focus on […]

October 20, 2020

Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program

OSI-Baltimore’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program seeks to reduce mass incarceration in Baltimore and Maryland through strategies that dismantle structural racism in criminal justice policies and promote restorative justice as the way to achieve lasting and widely-shared community safety. 2019 was a year of planning and strategizing for the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program. We […]

September 20, 2020

Over-incarceration still happening in Maryland | READER COMMENTARY

By Andre M. Davis I was doubly discouraged by the data reported by Professors Doug Colbert and Colin Starger reflecting the unnecessary and unjust over-incarceration of non-violent pre-trial detainees in Baltimore (“Bail injustice in the time of COVID-19,” Sept. 7). Not long ago, as an advisory board member of Open Society Institute-Baltimore, I applauded OSI’s participation [...]
July 22, 2020

Community groups unite for Md. criminal justice reform

By Steve Lash Maryland’s criminal laws and policies must be reviewed and when necessary changed to protect minorities, exploited women and the poor from being targeted by the police simply because of who they are, members of a fledgling coalition of community organizations said Wednesday.  Read Full Article
July 10, 2020

Further bail reform needed in Maryland | COMMENTARY

By Iman Freeman, Nicole Hanson, and Caryn York  Maryland justice officials should take a fresh look and a new approach to addressing racial bias in our pretrial bail system, which continues to result in disparities in who is let out of jail and given monetary conditions of release that they can’t afford despite reform efforts [...]
June 16, 2020

Baltimore Marks Juneteenth on Friday

This Friday, June 19th, a wide range of local organizations will hold events and campaigns to mark Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. But as OSI grantees Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF), Out for Justice (OFJ) and the Baltimore Action Legal Team (BALT), explain on the Facebook […]

March 18, 2020

COVID-19 Information and Resources

  General Information The Baltimore City Health Department Novel Coronavirus website – Includes information for general public, clinicians, community and business leaders, parents, and older adults and caregivers, travel information, infographics, and links and resources. Baltimore City Health Department COVID-19 Dashboard – Data on COVID-19 case in Baltimore City by zip code, age, and sex, as […]