Juvenile Justice Working Group Airs Interim Recommendations for System Reform

Talks on improving Ohio's juvenile justice system continue to be a point of focus for the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

A working group of experts formed by Governor Mike DeWine in November has spent the past four months examining and identifying holes in the system that need filling. One big topic Thursday morning was the number of juvenile facilities and staffing numbers. The four buckets that the group focused on were behavior health, safety and staffing, population intake, and re-entry support. Group members brainstormed resolutions to possibly solve various issues they have identified.

One member expressed that if we have more employees and smaller, specialized facilities available for juveniles, we can solve the issue of repeat offenders and accommodate the appropriate help each teen may need. Another member recommended a deeper focus on "individual mental health help." She says current programs don't offer that support, as they focus on group settings, and that those current practices are not a "safe space" for juveniles to discuss things that may be held against them, especially with gang activity present nearby.

"Obviously this is an area near and dear to the governor's heart, and it has been since day one of his administration, and even before he was governor," said Tom Stickrath, Chair of the Juvenile Justice Working Group. The group also announced that the national, nonprofit State Government Justice Center will be hosting a youth summit here in Ohio, as one of the three state chosen. The exact location and dates of the summit will be released soon.