Juvenile Justice
Ohio Pledges $30M More to Resolve Youth Prison Litigation
Posted Apr 4, 2008, 12:06 pm CST
By Molly McDonough
Following a troubling report last year about Ohio's youth prison, the state has promised to direct $30 million in additional funding and hire 100 more guards to improve the system.
The state, in a settlement agreement (PDF), also said it would hire more psychologists, nurses, social workers and teachers, the Associated Press reports.
The closer look at the youth prison system was prompted by lawsuits brought in 2004 alleging excessive force used against girls detained at the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility in Delaware, Ohio. The settlement, if approved today, resolves those suits.
The report (PDF) notes that Ohio's youth prisons are overcrowded, understaffed and fail to keep children safe.
"The plan safeguards public safety while working toward more youth being served in smaller, more appropriate, community-based facilities," Cincinnati attorney Alphonse Gerhardstein, who helped coordinate the litigation, is quoted saying.