Report: Use Of Force Rate Highest At Ohio River Valley
by Frank Lewis
1 month ago | 1671 views | 5 5 comments | 9 9 recommendations | email to a friend | print
The Ohio River Valley Juvenile Center at Franklin Furnace has the highest rate of violent run-ins and the need for restraint by guards of any Youth Services facility in the state, according to a recent report from the agency’s federal monitor, filed by Fred Cohen.

“We did have our own internal look into Ohio River Valley and some of the incidents that were occurring there,” Andrea Cruse of the Ohio Department of Youth Services said. “We basically did a case study review on some of the incidents of use of force that happened over a six-month period at the Ohio River Valley facility.”

The report concluded that the majority of the cases involved youths with a history of violent incidents, who were repeatedly involved in incidents such as hurting themselves, gang involvement and mental health problems.

“These factors contributed to the likelihood of an incident,” a review by DYS facility resource administrator Patrick Hurley indicated. “These factors do not justify the injuries, but certainly establish high-risk situations.”

The study of ORVJC also said wet and slippery floors sometimes created hazardous situations for falls.

“There was not any evidence to indicate the staff were acting maliciously in their response and their application of force,” Cruse said. “There were some times when there may have been some policy complaints and issues which either were or are being addressed through the appropriate disciplinary process.”

Cruse said as a result of the study, the DYS has come up with a list of things all facilities in the state, including ORVJC, have been doing over the last several months to monitor the situation in terms of emphasizing the use of planned intervention.

“Every facility, including Ohio River Valley, has an intervention administrator, a person who is experienced in use of force instruction and reviewing incidents,” Cruse said. “And what they do is actually review every single use of force incident, to help ensure that that force is used only when necessary and that when it is used, it is used appropriately.”

The study reported on by Cohen blamed combative youth, how guards restrain them and the guards’ possible failure to coordinate their responses to violent run-ins for injuries to juveniles at ORVJC.

The report concluded the frequency of the use of force by guards across the system most often occurred at ORVJC.

“Overall, the use of force is trending downward across the state, including Ohio River Valley,” Cruse said. “Violence is trending downward, but there are things that we are working on that we are still going to be putting into place.”

Cruse said the situation would continue to be closely monitored.

Gov. Ted Strickland recently named former director of the Department of Youth Services, Tom Stickrath, director of the Department of Public Safety, a day after former Director Cathy Collins-Taylor was rejected by the Ohio Senate.

FRANK LEWIS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232 or flewis@heartlandpublications.com
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comments (5)
« applebottomjeans wrote on Friday, Jul 09 at 12:15 AM »
First I would like to say to Mrs. Hesson, My heart and prayers are with you and your family. I think of you often. With that being said the CRIMINALS that are in these institutions, ORVJCF being one of them, are of criminal thinking not of your typical youth you see playing baseball or running track at your local high school. These are the ones that are hanging on the corner waiting on their next score or for their next potential victim. That's why their there. They have NO respect for ANYONE. These criminals in the institution create situations whether it be ASSULTING other youth or the staff that require JCO's and other staff to get involved in a restraint. Beleive me, the word is out that you don't want to put your hands the the "youth" for fear of being fired. The JCO's DON'T start the fights the "youth" do. The JCO'S are required to interveine. If your son was locked up in a correctional facility or even at school and was getting the crap beat out of him, would you like someone to come to his aid? The answer is yes. These JCO's do the BEST they can. Try looking at the other side, the staff that go home INJURED and then are not able to return to work because they are not at 100%. Try thinking of their families.
« lunchladie wrote on Thursday, Jul 08 at 07:15 PM »
Many do not realize that Ohio River Valley houses youth similar to those adults at Lucasville. These are some of the worst juvenile FELONS (yes, they are felons)in the system. They also have ages up to the day prior to their 21st birthday. In county, state, and federal agencies 18 year olds are treated as adults. I would like to see how many of these guards were or are injured by the "youth". I remember reading about a guard up north that was killed by some of there "youth". I've asked around and have also found out that the people who work for the DYS do not have weapons to protect themselves. They are taught simple self defense moves.

I have friends who work in the system and they talk about the gang violence. These "kids" are the same "kids" that many of us would run away from if we met them on a sidewalk or street. These guards are outnumbered 2 or 3 to 20-40 for 8 hours a day (or 16 for overtime) while at work. Imagine spending 8-16 hours a day with 20 violent, angry, arrogant, disrespectful, some mentally ill, juvenile felons between the ages of 13-20...all while unarmed. These men and women do this apparently thankless job because they love kids. They believe they can make a difference in the lives of these individuals who order gang hits on them. I think they deserve a metal not headlines questioning their work ethics.
« coonhunter93 wrote on Thursday, Jul 08 at 03:39 PM »
Hey gamergirl!......You must be a bleeding heart tree hugger because unless you ever worked around these so called "kids" who are really murders, rapist, thieves and most important the lowest form of scum in this part of the state, you have no reason to judge. Neglect does NOT give them the right to rape children or kill another human being just because you think .....OH POOR CHILDREN. As far as the guards using to much force....YOU have to be kidding me!!!! Do some research on how many staff get assaulted every day, every week. Recently a female staff had her orbital bone broken, and another staff 3 days ago had 4 staples put in his head!! All do to gang activity. 90 percent of these criminals are not mental (because those are sent up north) they just want to be thugs who in my opinion should recieve the same treatment as any other damn criminal! Dont judge unless you put on these rediculous looking brown pants and sky blue shirts!!
« gamergirl wrote on Wednesday, Jul 07 at 08:41 PM »
Whats really sad is that we have violent juvenilles in prison. Everything could have been prevented by their parents and guardians or by the state of ohio in preventing the cycle of abuse and neglect these children dealt with. But sadder still is the fact that guards use such force that they harm those juvenilles. Being violent as a child is not an excuse for being injured by adults, a better mental health care is needed in these facilities, and it seems as both the children and the guards need it.
« ACitizen wrote on Wednesday, Jul 07 at 12:45 PM »
And those things to be put in place are? Don't tell us the inmates may find out, that more help is coming? Or like Strickland haven't figured it out yet, but "will do everything possible?"

These Kids are like the adults already, cutting themselves, etc. like they do in the Montford unit in Lubbock, TX, a mental hospital unit. Is Ohio in the 19th. Century in this area too?

Where's the Governor's fellow counselors? Mental health officials administrating to our leaders of tomorrow? Where?


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