MASSILLON, Ohio — Around a dozen people rallied across the street from Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility on Wednesday to address concerns over workplace conditions at the Stark County institute amid a series of recent incidents.
“We just want to make sure our staff are protected and able to come to work and go home,” said Rusty Burkepile, union representative for the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association(OCSEA).
Those attending the rally held signs with messages clearly written. “No more forced overtime,” one sign read. Others said, “safe staffing now.”
Burkepile told 3News he believes Indian River is down around 35 corrections officers.
“Right now it’s okay because we have extra assistance helping us, but the question will be, ‘when can we get our staffing levels up to be safe after some of the assistance leaves?’” said Burkepile.
3News reached out to the Ohio Department of Youth Services Wednesday regarding the conditions inside Indian River.
“We deeply appreciate and care about our staff for all they do in this effort, and we’re working diligently to address the challenges they’re experiencing today,” said DYS communications chief Tony Gottschlich.
The DYS is offering additional pay to those working the Indian River housing units through the end of the year.
In a letter obtained by 3News, titled ‘Mandatory Weekend Coverage,’ Charles Ford, the acting superintendent of Indian River, explains that staff will be required to sign up for weekend shifts based on their current needs.
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 OCSEA told 3News that corrections officers are often mandated to work 16 hours, four times per week.
Burkepile told 3News that five corrections officers resigned last week, adding to the need for employees.
Indian River continues to be assisted by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction(DRC). Gottschlich told 3News that the DRC special response team continues to work at Indian River to provide additional assistance.
The DYS told 3News Wednesday that the staffing challenges are similar to corrections facilities across the country. As of October 21, the state says Indian River had 31 vacant positions.
Gottschlich told 3News that the state is working to hire and retain employees, including providing a 3% raise this year.
Burkepile says that he believes a change in leadership in late September led to the problems at Indian River. An acting superintendent is now in place. In addition, the DYS tells 3News that three Indian River employees were placed on administrative leave at around the same time.
“Once that leadership changed and they didn’t have consistent leadership for handling the youth and juveniles inside, they took advantage of it,” said Burkepile.
The OCSEA says they’re working with DYS to address the concerns inside Indian River so employees know they can go home at the end of the day.
Trouble at Indian River first became apparent 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. The incidents helped prompt the state to take several steps, including deploying members of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's special response unit to support DYS staff who are working the housing units at Indian River.
DYS also announced that it will enter into an agreement with ODRC to supply youth specialists in the Indian River housing units with body cameras.
Last month, 3News asked a spokesperson with the Ohio Department of Youth Services for statistics on recent assaults at Indian River. They sent the following information:
"As for assaults at Indian River this year, we had a total of 77 by the end of September. For context, that compares to 66 at the end September 2021; 52 at the end of September 2020, and 103 at the end of September 2019, our last full pre-pandemic year. Assaults can range from a shove to more serious incidents."
But the problems for DYS don't just end at Indian River.
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.
Previous Reporting:
- 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