RECLAIM Ohio (Reasoned and Equitable Community and Local Alternative to Incarceration of Minors) is an initiative developed in 1993 by the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) to address the continuing problems of an overburdened juvenile justice system.

RECLAIM Ohio attempts to address:

 

The number of felony and misdemeanant level delinquents The severity of the crimes committed Vicitm reparation Community safety The competency development of these young offenders through community-based rehabilitative programming

As a positive incentive plan, RECLAIM Ohio allows local courts to target specific areas where funds can best be used to divert youth from being institutionalized.  Merely separating youth from the community through permanent commitment to DYS has proven, for the most part, to be only a short-term solution.  Sanctioning juvenile delinquents and giving them the life skills and competencies they need to maintain a crime-free lifestyle not only renews young lives, but also reestablishes the long-term peace and safety of our communities.

RECLAIM Ohio provides an allocation of funds from DYS to the Court to address the needs of juvenile offenders who are most at-risk of being permanently committed to DYS. Proposals from various community-based agencies for providing services to youth are reviewed annually. Programs funded by RECLAIM Ohio serve those youth that are eligible for a commitment to DYS, as well as misdemeanant offenders. Each program and each person served by RECLAIM Ohio is tracked and monitored.

RECLAIM Ohio Case Management was implemented in 1999 as another way to address juvenile crime. With the large caseloads of the Probation staff, the Court needed to develop a method of providing services to the large number of youth placed on misdemeanor or non-reporting probation. The RECLAIM Ohio Case Manager oversees cases referred, monitors the youth, and refers youth and families to various community agencies who can help address troubling issues. The goal is to provide services to the family and prevent further Court contact. Cases referred to this program are most often first time misdemeanor and low-level first time felony offenders and are usually monitored for a period of 90-120 days.

ACES (AfterCare Expedites Success), also funded by Franklin County RECLAIM Ohio dollars, was started in October, 2002. This is a collaborative effort between the Ohio Department of Youth Services' (DYS) Columbus Regional Parole Office and the Franklin County Juvenile Court. ACES is designed to identify youth who could benefit from an early release from the DYS institution with services provided in the community that may not be available on traditional parole or in an ODYS facility.