COLUMBUS, Ohio — After recent incidents of employees being assaulted at the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Stark County, the Ohio Department of Youth Service (DYS) has announced it will be providing new tools to assist staff.
Earlier this week, DYS told 3News that it would be supplying youth specialists in the Indian River housing units with body cameras. On Friday, DYS Director Amy Ast added that pepper spray (Oleoresin Capsicum) will also be provided.
"Research has shown in environments like ours, the use of OC spray is much safer than physical restraint," Ast wrote in a letter to DYS staff. "The use of OC Spray will reduce injuries to staff and youth, as well as reduce the frequency of staff being off work due to physical restraint injuries."
A DYS spokesperson told 3News that Indian River had 77 assaults so far this year by the end of September, compared to 66 at the end of September 2021 and 52 at the end of September of 2020.
"Because of your good work, approximately 80% of our youth have not been involved in acts of violence on our staff or on their peers," Ast added. "Having said that, the remaining 15%-20% of youth in our custody present a continuing concern, especially given the increase in serious and targeted assaults we’ve been experiencing."
Recent troubles at Indian River surfaced in mid-October, when corrections officer David Upshaw was assaulted on the job. Upshaw's family told 3News' Bri Buckley that the 60-year-old severe injuries to major organs, a hematoma on the side of his head, and scrapes in his eye.
Several days later, 12 youth inmates at the facility got out of their rooms and barricaded themselves in a school building armed with makeshift weapons.
Last weekend at the state's Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility, a youth assaulted a corrections officer, taking her keys and radio, then freeing four other juveniles. They went outside and then entered a building used for programming activities, before finally being apprehended. Three of the juveniles involved in Circleville were part of the group of 12 in the October 22nd incident at Indian River.
"Many of you recognize that our population in DYS has increased throughout this year. In fact, our population is higher than it was the year before the pandemic," Ast added. "This increase has impacted all three of our facilities, and it is not lost on me that the increase in population, combined with the staff shortage, has made for more challenging environments."
On Wednesday, several corrections employees held a rally across the street from Indian River to address concerns about workplace safety as well as having to work longer shifts.
In a letter obtained by 3News, titled ‘Mandatory Weekend Coverage,’ Charles Ford, the acting superintendent of Indian River, explained that staff will be required to sign up for weekend shifts based on the current needs of the facility.
Ford did tell staff that if they are required to report and work on living units, they will be eligible for overtime pay and a $50 incentive pay if they work six or more hours.
Sally Meckling, communications director for Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA), told 3News that corrections officers are often mandated to work 16 hours, four times per week.
Ast says Indian River will be the first of the state's three juvenile facilities to receive body worn cameras. Youth specialists, unit managers, unit manager administrators, operations managers, and operations administrators will be issued cameras as part of their daily security equipment.
3News' Neil Fischer and Bri Buckley contributed to this report
Previous Coverage:
- Employees rally for safer conditions at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Stark County
- Juvenile assaults officer, temporarily frees 4 others in Circleville youth prison
- Union calls for policy change after teens livestream standoff inside Stark County youth prison
- 'They’re not misunderstood youth, they’re criminals and they’re doing what criminals do': Indian River juvenile corrections officers share concerns
- State of Ohio addresses concerns at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility; employees seek new opportunities
- New details emerge from Saturday's barricade incident at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility
- 'Somebody's going to get killed in that place': Summit County family demands answers after juvenile corrections officer was brutally attacked