A new report by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services shows a 40% reduction in the number of youth who were shooting victims while under the agency’s supervision, compared with last year.

The report, which goes through the end of November, also shows an 11% increase in the total number of youth under DJS supervision, but a slight drop in the portion of those youth involved in shootings, either as suspects or victims. In 2023, about 3.9% of DJS-supervised youth were involved in shootings, compared with about 3.2% through the end of November this year.

The largest change was in the number of teens under DJS supervision who were shot this year. This year, 20 teens were shot, compared with 28 last year, a 40% drop.

In a statement, DJS spokesman Michael Sharp said that the agency was glad to see a drop in the number of DJS-supervised youth injured or killed in shootings, but that “zero is the only appropriate number for shootings.”

The portion of DJS-supervised youth who were suspects in shootings was relatively stable both last year and this year, at about 2%.

The report comes at a time when DJS is under heightened scrutiny, and when conservatives in particular have been calling for new leadership at the agency.