Report: Move mentally ill youth from Ohio lockups
COLUMBUS -- The state should transfer mentally ill juvenile inmates to psychiatric facilities as soon as possible and find money for their treatment, according to a new report on the status of Ohio's youth prison system.
The Department of Youth Services has some of the most acutely mentally ill youth in the state, who would be transferred to more appropriate psychiatric treatment facilities if they were hospitalized or in other settings outside detention, the report said.
The report filed in federal court Thursday also said repeatedly placing mentally ill youth in seclusion affects decisions about whether they should be held beyond the end of their sentences.
Under a court settlement, Youth Services must "strive to prevent deterioration or exacerbation of mental health symptoms and needless isolation for behaviors caused by mental health issues," according to the report by court-appointed monitors Will Harrell and Terry Schuster.
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20120107/NEWS01/201070306/Report-Move-mentally-ill-youth-from-Ohio-lockups
