Commission backs study to extend Children's Ombudsman oversight to juvenile facilities

Matthew Nuardi, commission staff, presented a study and draft recommendations to expand the Office of the Children's Ombudsman's (OCO) powers to include juveniles in secure confinement facilities certified or operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice and locally operated juvenile detention centers. Nuardi said the study included stakeholder interviews, reviews of other states' ombudsman models and site visits, and that the commission's advisory group favored expanding oversight while noting practical barriers to intake, data access and staffing.