S.B. 270 updates rules for where juveniles may be held and when transfers to adult facilities are permitted

S.B. 270 amends R.C. 2152.26 and related sections to clarify where children alleged or adjudicated as delinquent or juvenile traffic offenders may be held and under what circumstances they may be detained in adult correctional facilities. The bill preserves the baseline rule that juveniles generally must be held in certified foster homes, child‑welfare facilities, or other court‑designated suitable places, and restricts their confinement in county jails or adult facilities except in specified circumstances.

The bill retains and enumerates exceptions that permit holding a person in an adult facility when the juvenile attains age 21 before being apprehended, when the juvenile is over 18 but under 21 and the court finds a documented safety or best‑interest reason, or when a case has been transferred for criminal prosecution under existing transfer statutes. It requires juvenile courts to make written findings by a preponderance of evidence before ordering transfer to an adult facility and lists factors the court must consider, including age, developmental maturity, access to education and recreation, mental‑health screening, risk of self‑harm, and whether juvenile detention would adequately protect the community. The bill also provides a mandatory review hearing mechanism (within 30 days) for juveniles transferred to adult facilities and requires facilities to inform transferred youth of their right to request review.