Quick Take Ohio: Revisiting Ohio's Conditions of Confinement

On May 21, 2014, the State of Ohio reached a settlement that resolves similar allegations under two separate lawsuits; one stemming from ongoing issues that remained under a prior settlement reached in S.H. v. Stickrath (2008) and the second filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The recent order requires that the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) provide individualized treatment and programming for kids with mental health issues and stop the harmful practice of seclusion. DYS must also dramatically reduce, and eventually eliminate, its use of seclusion on all young people in its custody. On this episode, Al Gerhardstein, lead plaintiff counsel for S.H., discusses what changes have occurred in the past six years since S.H. was settled and the impact of the newest order.