Construction is set to begin this spring on new, smaller youth prisons in Ohio, with the goal of eventually shutting down the larger Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility. The Ohio Department of Youth Services plans to build two 36-bed centers in Bedford and Grafton, with the project expected to cost $260 million. These centers will provide a more localized and supportive approach to juvenile detention.

A juvenile justice task force, formed by Gov. Mike DeWine in November 2023, recommended moving away from large institutions and focusing on smaller, community-based centers. This decision follows an investigation into Ohio's troubled juvenile detention system, revealing serious safety and care concerns for both staff and youth. The new facilities will aim to foster positive behaviors in a secure environment.

Cuyahoga Hills will be the first of the state's juvenile prisons to be replaced, with plans for further replacements once the new facilities in Bedford and Grafton are completed. With the number of adjudicated youths dropping in recent years, Ohio's shift towards smaller, rehabilitative centers mirrors national trends, such as California's move to close large youth prisons.