Reports surfaced noting that Baltimore will no longer continue with prosecuting low-level crimes like prostitution, drug possession, minor traffic offenses, and more. The shift reportedly started happening a year ago, with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made by Baltimore state attorney Marilyn Mosby, who noted that there has been a decline in jail populations, along with a reduction in all categories of crime.
This past Friday, Mosby announced that the move she made to stop prosecuting lower-level crimes will be a permanent one, as the previous way of rough policing and unnecessary violence had became a case study for criminal justice reform. Mosby noted the Baltimore Police Department will be a partner in the move away from low-level prosecution, saying “Our understanding is that the police are going to follow what they’ve been doing for the past year, which is not arresting people based on the offenses I mentioned.”
