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Ohio Department of Youth Services seeks funding to address rising population, staffing and program needs
Summary
Director Amy Ast told the Government Oversight and Reform Committee that DYS has seen a population increase in youth in state custody, staffing pressures, and is seeking funding for staff retention, body‑worn cameras expansion, community corrections facility operations and education and reentry programs including a BUILD initiative.
Amy Ast, director of the Ohio Department of Youth Services, told the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee that DYS’s population at juvenile correctional facilities increased from 299 in September 2020 to 492 as of May (an increase she said was about 65 percent over five years), and that staffing and retention are central budget concerns.
Ast said DYS operates three state juvenile correctional facilities in Circleville, Highland Hills and Massillon, and funds 11 locally operated community corrections facilities. The department provides subsidies to counties for evidence‑based community programming, and Director Ast said “the key is getting the right youth in the right environment receiving the right services.”
The nut graf: Ast said higher staffing costs and rising population require investments to keep facilities safe, maintain…
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