In 1992, Ohio began investing in five deincarceration strategies to keep kids out of youth prisons. Over the next 23 years, Ohio cut its admissions to youth prisons by 80% — from more than 2,500 youth to less than 500 youth today. This report reviews strategies central to Ohio’s success and makes recommendations to states engaging in similar efforts.
Ohio reduced spending on juvenile corrections from $145.5 million in 2008 to $91.6 million in 2015.
Despite reducing its reliance on youth prisons, Ohio still spends $91.6 million to incarcerate fewer than 500 youth, while spending $58.4 to serve more than 80,000 youth in community-based programs.
Ohio has implemented five major deincarceration programs, which fall into two categories: subsidy programs and competitive programs.
Ohio’s experience shows how states can implement successful, cost-effective strategies to reduce the number of kids in youth prisons.
