A Youth Justice Collaborative - A Vision for Systems Change

In 2021, Cuyahoga County sent four times more children to adult court - referred to as a \"bindover\" - than the next highest county, Hamilton, which includes Cincinnati. Racial disparities exist at every stage of our criminal legal system. Yet, as of September 2024, Black youth comprised 72% of Ohio\'s youth prison population.\r\n\r\nMembers of the Youth Justice Collaborative believe it is time for our public leaders, courts, and communities to prioritize effective interventions, rather than rely on "tough-on-crime" approaches that criminalize adolescence. Through the Collaborative, they have supported transformative grassroots efforts that placed community-led programs within the facilities of the Juvenile Detention Center. What lessons can the Collaborative share that will optimize impactful change?