Gabriella Celeste, Policy Director at the Schubert Center for Child Studies, submitted Interested Party testimony for HB 96 to the Ohio House of Representatives Public Safety Committee on March 4, 2025. Her testimony focused on the state's budget priorities for justice-involved youth and child and adolescent development. She emphasized that adults are responsible for 90% of crimes. At the same time, children are primarily victims of gun violence, noting: “The #1 cause of death of children and teens is now fatal injuries from guns, surpassing traffic accidents for the first time.”
Celeste highlighted the key benefits of the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) RECLAIM community diversion programming, citing research showing that youth participating in programs like ODYS’s Targeted Reclaim are five times less likely to recidivate than incarcerated youth. She also noted the significant cost benefits of the RECLAIM-funded Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice initiative, which improves youth outcomes while saving tax dollars.
Additionally, she advocated for the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Working group recommendations, including replacing ODYS youth prisons with smaller regional facilities and supporting community correctional facilities in high-commitment counties. Smaller facilities provide a safer environment for youth and staff, foster respectful relationships that reduce divisions, and keep young people closer to their families, community programs, volunteers, and faith-based partners.