Indian River Riot, Other Violence Leads to Juvenile Correctional Recommendations

COLUMBUS, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – It comes two years after a riot and an attack on a corrections officer at the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Massillon.

A state group put together by Governor Mike DeWine has come up with 26 recommendations to improve safety and quell violence inside the state’s youth prisons.

Among the recommendations from the Juvenile Justice Working Group are to stop sending first-time non-violent offenders to juvenile prisons.

Also, to never send anyone under 14 there.

One recommendation gives juvenile judges more discretion.

But an overarching concern is the continued lack of adequate personnel at juvenile lockups.

The working group had already recommended closing larger facilities and replacing them with new, closer-to-home community correctional facilities in the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati areas.