Ohio DYS Begins Juvenile Justice Overhaul To Replace Large Facilities With Smaller Units

The Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) secured funding of $130 million to launch a youth prison overhaul, the Cuyahoga Hills Facility Replacement Project, that will result in two new youth rehabilitation facilities in Northeast Ohio, according to a recent announcement. The facilities, to be located in Bedford and Grafton, will replace the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility (CHJCF) in Highland Hills, near Cleveland.

The CHJCF has experienced persistent understaffing, as well as violence that threatens staff and resident safety, the announcement stated. The new facilities will be designed to address safety and staffing concerns, in part by replacing the . . .