After two more staff members were assaulted recently at the Indian River DYS facility in Massillon as chronic understaffing puts more and more lives at risk, members continue to speak out about the attacks.
In a News5Cleveland interview, Tara Patris, a Correction Officer at the Ohio State Penitentiary (OSP) who volunteers weekends at the DYS facility, told the news outlet that "staff at the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility need help!" As an OCSEA member, she recently wrote to Gov. Mike DeWine after back-to-back assaults, including seeing an attack on another volunteer officer and union sister. "Patris was so horrified by the violent attack on her colleague that she wrote DeWine begging him to do something," the interview explains.
She told the governor that attacks on staff are happening far too frequently lately, and that "policies need to change" to protect staff, reduce understaffing and hold violent youth accountable.
The DeWine Administration has made the following statement: "We appreciate receiving the information she provided about safety concerns. The Governor's Office has been in contact with DYS about the overall situation at Indian River, and we are discussing next steps."
OCSEA President Mabe, who toured the facility this month, has also been speaking out publicly about the crisis in our youth prisons. "The escalating cycle of violence at Indian River is the result of mismanagement at the highest levels of the Dept. of Youth Services,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. “We need more staffing, a safer work environment and changes at the top of DYS. And we need it now.”