COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Buckeye State is trying to crack down on gangs in its youth detention centers.
The juvenile justice working group created by Gov. Mike DeWine is exploring options to help combat issues within the system. According to the Department of Juvenile Justice, nearly 13% of the Department of Youth Services population are active gang members.
What You Need To Know
- The Juvenile Justice Group meets on a regular basis to discuss ways to fix the incarceration system
- The group is looking at ways to combat gangs in youth prisons
- Some formerly incarcerated individuals say that idea might not work based on their personal experiences
The group is looking at the idea of replacing the Department of Youth Services’ current three facilities with smaller entities. They believe it could help create more personal relationships with staff and inmates and lead to a more family-friendly environment.
“The frequency by which staff will be able to work more closely alongside one another would be of a benefit for youth who are struggling,” said Ryan Smith, the Chief Behavioral Health Services at the Department of Juvenile Justice. “Maybe, who are not considering the way they, you know, their behavior or the way they’re thinking or past experiences that they’ve had, you know, with the STI’s.”
Meanwhile, a former inmate with the Department of Youth Services said that specific idea might not work.
“You just spreading them out, just like you’re not dealing with it. You’re just spreading them out to take more territory,” said DeShawn Johnson, who is now a barber. “And then that I don’t have to influence so many. I can just have this group that I got right now and then they become more dangerous because it’s more interactive in this more interconnected.”
The Juvenile Justice Working Group has 11 members that are ranging from judges, prosecutors, sheriffs and the former director of the state’s department of youth services.