New Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Confirmed
Betsy Fox Tolentino has been confirmed as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS).
Fox Tolentino has almost two decades of experience in criminal and juvenile justice advocacy. Prior to this latest confirmation, she had been serving as Acting Secretary of the DJS since June of 2025.
Fox Tolentino was the Managing Director of Young Adult Justice Initiatives at nonprofit The Roca Impact Institute from 2022 to 2025, where she led strategic partnerships, oversaw scaled client initiatives, and worked to expand national visibility for Rewire CBT, a model for individual behavior change and system transformation.
Before joining Roca, Fox Tolentino worked with the DJS since 2011, holding various roles including Deputy Secretary of Community Operations and Director of Legislation. As Deputy Secretary, she worked to reduce racial disparities, build equity-driven reforms and foster innovation through collaborative partnerships in the juvenile justice space.
Fox Tolentino began her public service career working with the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau before joining the Maryland Office of the Public Defender as an attorney in 2005.
Fox Tolentino serves on the Board of Directors for Mentor MD/DC and teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She holds a degree from Southern Oregon University and earned her Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law.