(Newswire.net — November 18, 2019) — The plight of homeless people and juvenile offenders are key issues close to Jay Jalisi’s heart. He has been vocal and sponsoring bills aimed at resolving these pertinent issues.
Jalisi uses his position as a delegate in the Maryland House of Delegates to influence reforms. He is a qualified medical practitioner and a co-author of books covering various medical topics. As a graduate of John Hopkins University, Jay found a platform to make a positive change in local communities.
His political career began in 2015 when he became a member of the House of Delegates. In 2018, Jay Jalisi Maryland secured re-election with the highest number of votes in his legislative district.
He has worked tirelessly to help pass various legislation aimed at increasing state funding for homeless shelters. Furthermore, Jay contributed immensely to the passing of legislation designed to provide student loan support to children in the foster care system.
Juvenile justice reforms
He has worked on juvenile justice reforms since 2016 when he was appointed to a specialized task force. The reforms were inspired by the need to determine the minimum age for minors to be held in a state detention center. By extension, the changes would impact policies surrounding the controversial shackling and strip-searches. Some of the recommendations raised at the time included prohibiting the detention of teenagers below the age of 12.
Del. Jay Jalisi is one of the lawmakers who sponsored legislation aimed at implementing restrictions on shackling and strip-searches. The process saw the creation of a task force whose members included Jay Jalisi Maryland.
At the time, the law permitted the Department of Juvenile Services to detain children as young as seven years old. Jalisi felt that the policy was draconian. He argued that law enforcement officers should not shackle or strip-search any offender under the age of 13 before conviction.
The department’s policy enabled officers to strip-search youth offenders upon arrival at a detention center. The same applies when the teenage offenders make contact with the public. On the other hand, shackling is a standard procedure for youths in-transit to the detention center.
Jalisi and other members of the task force were pleased with the progress as the consultations and deliberations continued. However, some officials argued that legislation was unnecessary when it comes to changing practices.
The task force’s mandate involved reviewing the department’s policies on teen offenders. Shackling and strip-searches are invasive and regarded as damaging to minors below the age of 12.
Reducing homelessness in Maryland
Jay Jalisi Maryland has also sponsored bills designed to reduce homelessness. The desired changes include authorizing the Governor to provide funding in the annual budget for 2020. The funds will support special programs for disbursing grants for housing in various counties.
The relevant department would proceed to implement specific grant procedures aimed at distributing funds to deserving candidates in the counties. Up to 24 lawmakers, including Jay Jalisi (D), sponsored the bill.
On 30 April 2019, the bill was passed and approved by the governor. This became another success story for Jalisi who believes in providing robust social protection mechanisms. He continues to advocate for changes that benefit entire communities, especially underprivileged individuals and households.
In 2018, Jalisi introduced legislation that provides a tax credit on a property to the elderly. He also campaigned for a reduction in the amount of deposit required by an electric or gas providers from pensioners. These campaigns show the good work done by Jay Jalisi Maryland.