© 2026 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Court Rules Department Of Youth Services Oversight Is Over

Ohio Department of Youth Services

A federal judge has ended a decade of court-ordered oversight of Ohio's juvenile prison system.

Credit Ohio Department of Youth Services

In 2004, two child advocacy lawyers sued the Department of Youth Services, claiming excessive use of force against children, inadequate education, denial of proper medical and mental health care and failure to adequately train and supervise staff. At that point, a federal judge ordered oversight of those youth lockups, and the US Department of Justice also got involved. That began a series of changes at Ohio’s seven juvenile detention centers. Two years ago, most of the monitoring required in that initial ruling was ended and now, a federal judge has terminated the rest of it. The department has closed all but three facilities and today houses fewer than 500 children, down from 1,800 a decade ago.

Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.