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Violence hits Ohio youth prisons

19 troublemakers were responsible for 79 injuries to other youths and 102 injuries to staff members

By Alan Johnson
The Columbus Dispatch

COLUMBUS — Violence at two state youth-detention facilities escalated to the point that 19 of the worst offenders were transferred to a special unit this week.

In September alone, those 19 troublemakers were responsible for 79 injuries to other youths and 102 injuries to staff members, said Kim Parsell, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Youth Services. The injuries ranged from minor, requiring first-aid treatment, to more serious, resulting in trips to the emergency room.

Some staff injuries were severe enough that 19 employees were off work at times in September.

Parsell said seven youths from the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility in Delaware and 12 from the Circleville Correctional Facility were moved to a special unit at the Scioto facility that is separated from the general population. The agency asked for and received help with the transfer from a special team at the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the adult prison system.

Ohio’s youth-detention system has been shrinking for at least two years, with less-serious offenders diverted to community facilities. As a result, those who remain in the system are the most violent.

“The 19 youths that were transferred have been disruptive, displaying violent behavior and gang activity,” Parsell said.

She said the violence was unconnected to the recent closing of the Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility in Franklin Furnace in Scioto County.

Alphonse Gerhardstein, a Cincinnati attorney who represents all youths in the state facilities under settlement terms of a 2008 federal lawsuit, said the outbreak of violence is a major concern. The state is bound by the terms of the settlement, overseen by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

“Of course we want safe facilities and support reasonable measures that keep all of our clients safe,” Gerhardstein said. He said such incidents might not only be the fault of the offenders involved, but also “attitudes and actions of the staff.”

“We want to make sure all the staff has done all they can to treat people fairly,” he said.

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