GRAFTON, Ohio — Plans to improve Ohio’s youth prison system are moving forward with the groundbreaking of redesigned facilities in Northeast Ohio.
On Tuesday, Governor Mike DeWine was in Grafton for a ceremony to kick off the construction of the new Grafton Juvenile Correctional Facility.
"This transcends brick and mortar. It’s a fundamental systemic transformation of our agency’s DNA,” said Ohio Department of Youth Services Director Amy Ast.
Tuesday’s groundbreaking marked a step toward the construction of a pair of 36-bed units in Grafton. A similar design facility with two more 36-bed units is also being built in Bedford. The new buildings will replace the 180-bed Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional campus in Highland Hills.
"By decentralizing into smaller facilities, we are leveraging design and best practices,” Ast said.
The sites will move away from open-dormitory styles to smaller housing units that support rehabilitation with a more personal security infrastructure. Each unit will feature classrooms, vocational training spaces, mental health treatment suites, and both indoor and outdoor recreational areas.
The smaller facilities were recommended in the fall of 2024 by a juvenile justice working group. Gov. Mike DeWine assembled the team after several high-profile incidents, including a violent 12-hour standoff at Indian River Correctional Facility in 2022.
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On Tuesday, state and local leaders said they’ve been making strides in reform in recent years. The Governor said the number of children in custody has dropped from 3,000 to 400 as local communities share more responsibility for rehabilitation.
He believes the smaller facilities will help promote safety and better outcomes for the young people incarcerated there.
"These are the most problematic kids in the state, but there is hope for them. And we want to see our outcomes improve; we want to see them have a better chance. But we also want to make sure everyone’s safe - everyone who works here and everyone that’s here, the youth here, as well,” Gov. DeWine said.
The four smaller juvenile justice sites in Grafton and Bedford are funded by a $260 million capital investment by the Ohio General Assembly.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
