Continuing the Work: APDM’s Ongoing Partnership with OPD on the Maryland Justice Partnership

Over the past two years, APDM has served as fiscal sponsor and partner to the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative (MEJC), a partnership between Maryland's Attorney General's Office and the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD) supporting a statewide effort to examine racial disparities in Maryland’s criminal legal system and develop a roadmap for reform. That phase of the work has now concluded. With the completion of MEJC’s recommendations, the focus has shifted from planning to action.

OPD has launched the Maryland Justice Partnership (MJP) to carry this work forward through coordinated implementation across priority areas of reform. APDM is proud to continue its role as fiscal sponsor and partner as OPD moves into this next chapter.

APDM will continue to provide the administrative and financial infrastructure necessary to support MJP’s implementation efforts—ensuring accountability, transparency, and sustainability—while OPD leads coordination and partnership engagement. MEJC demonstrated the power of collaboration across agencies, advocates, and community leaders. That spirit continues through the Maryland Justice Partnership, grounded in a shared commitment to equity, fairness, and meaningful system change.

We are grateful to our partners and supporters who made the MEJC possible and look forward to continuing this work together as the Maryland Justice Partnership takes shape.