Anderson, Cluster Criticize City Jail Gangs Hearing

Two state delegates criticized a hearing on the issue of gangs in the city jail as being too basic.

Dels. Curt Anderson and John Cluster, a Democrat and Republican respectively, said during a Friday appearance on Maryland Public Television's State Circle that the hearing last week by the Legislative Policy Committee asked "kind of the softball questions."

"I think this hearing was pretty much a show by the administration that certainly [Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary] Gary Maynard has been doing a great job especially where state prisons are concerned.," Anderson, a Baltimore City Democrat said. "He spent a long time talking about what he achieved since he's been here closing Jessup because of the violence down there and moving his office to the detention center. But the hearing was still kind of scant on specifics."

Both Cluster and Anderson said the committee comprised of committee chairmen and other top legislative leaders asked basic questions about topics for which members of the House Judiciary Committee already knew the answers.

The comments from the two delegates comes in the wake of 25 federal indictments last month against inmates allegedly associated with the Black Guerilla Family Gang and correctional officers at the Baltimore City Detention Center.

Shortly after those indictments, Middle River Republican Del. Pat McDonough called for Maynard to be fired.

Both Cluster and Anderson said they did not believe Maynard should be fired.

"He's had seven years," Cluster said. "I don't know that he's done as much as he could do. I think we have to give him a little more time but we have to ask him the tough questions."

Read more:

• McDonough Calls For Firing Of State Prisons Head