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Hamilton County youth defender urges investment in community programs, not detention
Summary
Angela Chang, director of the Youth Defense Division for Hamilton County, told the Cincinnati City Council committee that detention increases recidivism, about one-third of youth clients have IEPs or 504 plans, and that early legal and community supports reduce harm and long-term consequences.
Angela Chang, director of the Youth Defense Division at the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office, told the Cincinnati City Council Youth and Human Services Committee that the office seeks to protect young people's constitutional rights while connecting them to community services that reduce the need for detention.
Chang said her office has grown into a multidisciplinary team with "178 employees and 110 attorneys," and described an approach that pairs lawyers with social workers and mitigation specialists. She said roughly one-third of young clients have individualized education plans or 504 plans and that school pushout is a major funnel into the justice system.
"There's lots of research that shows scaring people straight is not effective," Chang said, arguing that detention can increase recidivism, interrupt education and exacerbate mental-health needs. She recommended expanding alternatives to detention and strengthening community partnerships such as the Children's Law Center and Back to Back Ministries that produce court letters and support families.
Chang outlined practical services her division provides, including attendance at every detention and plea hearing, representation early in the process, and a sealing and expungement clinic that meets the first and third Wednesday of each month. She said many juvenile records can be sealed or expunged but that records persist unless someone pursues that remedy.
Committee members asked about legal thresholds for holding youth in detention and access to firearms. Chang said Ohio law presumes release unless the youth poses an imminent risk of harm or is a flight risk; Vice Chair Evan Nolan and other members reiterated that the release standard is set by state law and Supreme Court interpretation.
Why it matters: Chang framed juvenile defense as a point of contact to identify systemic needs (special education, mental health, housing) and to route children toward services that keep them at home and connected to community supports rather than into custody.
The presentation concluded with questions from council members about program reach and potential city partnerships; no formal action was taken at the end of Chang's presentation.
