COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced recently the formation of a new working group to examine the state of juvenile justice and corrections in Ohio.

The Ohio Juvenile Justice Working Group will be chaired by Tom Stickrath, former director of both the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) and Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS). Stickrath is also the current chair of the National Commission on Accreditation for Corrections.

Governor DeWine has tasked the group with undergoing a thorough, holistic review of juvenile justice operations at DYS and of the agency’s partnerships with county juvenile detention facilities. The group will review and offer recommendations on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, youth safety, education, reentry support, and health and mental health services. The group will also examine staffing levels and staff safety, training, recruitment, and retention.

Members of the working group include:

• Judge Anthony Capizzi
  Retired Juvenile Court Judge, Montgomery County
• Gabriella Celeste
  Policy Director, Schubert Center for Child Studies
• Melissa Day
  Juvenile Division Chief, Stark County Prosecutor’s Office
• Judge Amy Lewis
  Juvenile Court Judge, Greene County
• Judge David Stucki
  Retired Juvenile Court Judge, Stark County
• Tom Stickrath (chair)
  Former Director, Ohio DYS, Ohio DPS
  Chair, National Commission on Accreditation for Corrections

The following members of the Ohio General Assembly will assist the working group on an advisory level:

• Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison)
• Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester)
• Paula Hicks Hudson (D-Toledo)
• Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville)

Additional working group members may be added before the group’s first meeting, which will be announced at a later date.