CLEVELAND, Ohio-Cuyahoga County is taking steps to address disparities in its juvenile justice system and prioritize prevention efforts. A temporary subcommittee has been formed by the County Council to review the system and make recommendations for improvement. The committee, consisting of five members with various backgrounds, will assess current programs, suggest reforms, and identify funding needs.
This initiative comes in response to concerns raised by recent reporting on the county’s juvenile justice system, which highlighted issues such as transfers to adult court and the influence of poverty and neglect on youth crime. Additionally, a grant of $450,000 has been awarded to the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court to implement early intervention and prevention strategies aimed at addressing root causes of youth crime. The initiative, called “Care First Cuyahoga,” will focus on at-risk youth and their families, particularly those from low-income communities with disproportionately high juvenile arrest rates.
