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	Highlights of the Agreement
	89 Page Stipulation

Juvenile Justice Initiative Applauds DYS Class Action Settlement

Agreement makes transformation of Ohio’s juvenile justice system possible

Today a comprehensive class action settlement that creates system-wide change in the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) was filed in federal court in Columbus.

Voices for Ohio’s Children, the state’s leading child advocacy organization and convener of the statewide Juvenile Justice Initiative, is pleased with the agreement between the state and the attorneys who represented the youth in DYS facilities.

“This agreement makes possible real transformation of Ohio’s juvenile justice system. Our state’s young people and communities need this kind of commitment to long-term, meaningful change, not band-aid solutions that keep broken institutions open.” said Amy N. Swanson, executive director of Voices for Ohio’s Children.

“We applaud the state’s commitment to increasing investment in community-based services and reducing the population in juvenile facilities through effective mental health treatment and parole reform. These are the solutions that make our communities safer and our young people successful.”

“We want to see fewer young people in juvenile facilities and the closure of institutions that don’t work for kids,” continued Swanson. “Together, we can do better for Ohio’s youth and communities.”

Learn more about the Juvenile Justice Initiative.

Voices for Ohio’s Children is a non-partisan voice of Ohio’s nearly 3 million children. With more than 100 collaborative partners, we advance changes in public policy that improve the health, safety, education, family stability and childcare of all Ohio children and their families.