Hamilton County's Youth Detention Center is being honored Aug. 19 in Boston for a recent program established at the facility and other improvements.
The Center for Improving Youth Justice, a Boston-based nonprofit, has awarded the youth center the Barbara Allen-Hagen Award, named after a retired program manager at the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Center for Improving Youth Justice Executive Director Tim Baymon said the center has made efforts to improve behavior and create positive structure for the youth.
"Juvenile Court Youth Center sets a strong example for the youth justice field, proving that positive change within a large facility is possible when support, guidance and continuous improvement are at the center
of the work," Baymon said.
The youth center provided a list some of the achievements in recent years:
- Since 2023, 26 youth have earned their high school diploma.
- In partnership with MindPeace, the court created a first of its kind multisensory de-escalation room, also known as a calming space.
- The center adopted the Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports model to create positive reinforcements and a rewards-based system of care.
- The court has added five positions to the behavioral health staff.
- A partnership with the Cincinnati Zoo, a garden was planted for growing a variety of flowering plants, fruits and vegetables to teach the youth new skills and serve as a "living laboratory."
- The Contemporary Arts Center held an exhibition of art created by kids at the detention center featuring visual art, writing and music.
The Hamilton County Juvenile Court operates the youth center. Administrative Judge Kari Bloom said she is proud of the staff there and their director Brian Bell.
"We have seen the results of a totally punitive approach to justice-involved kids: higher recidivism, failed rehabilitation processes, families separated, less safe communities," Bloom said. "The kids we house in our detention center ... will one day be back in our community. How we care for them and prepare them will make all the difference in their ability to be successful when they are released."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hamilton County Youth Detention Center to receive award in Boston
