Room for Improvement
Ohio detains youth at a higher rate than most states — and mostly for technical or non-violent offenses.
This issue brief reviews juvenile detention program data for Ohio and the nation. It outlines the successes of Annie E. Casey’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), talks about Ohio’s participation in the initiative, and shares four recommendations aimed at dramatically altering the state’s use — and overuse — of juvenile detention.
This brief recommends a multilevel strategy for reforming juvenile detention in Ohio. The approach has four parts: 1) expand county-based detention reform; 2) continue state leadership on reducing incarceration rates; 3) continue creating a system of state oversight, assistance and accountability for juvenile detention; and 4) ensure that all youth risking detention have effective legal representation.