DYS has been working to reduce red since 2007 and has dedicated the majority of its title II funding to reduce disparities in the juvenile justice system through community prevention efforts

The Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) was awarded a $1,438,627 Formula Grant by the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the PREA Program: Strategic Support for PREA Implementation (CFDA 16.735) program. The grant will fund programming from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2026 aimed at reducing racial and ethnic disparities (RED) in the juvenile justice system and promoting positive youth development (PYD) for at-risk youth across Ohio.

DYS will allocate funding to local providers in communities with large African American youth populations and high needs to provide prevention and early intervention services to reduce system contact. Funding will also support programs serving youth of all races from impoverished areas with drug/crime issues and limited resources. Continuation grants were awarded to eleven sub-awardees, including KC Educational Associates, Gracehaven Inc., and Alcoholism Council of Butler County Ohio Inc. Performance will be monitored based on OJJDP measures and juvenile data to assess the programs' impact on outcomes like crime reduction.

Many thousands of african american youth have received services and programming that has helped to reduce the number of minority youth arrests. DYS will continue to allocate funding to reduce red. In the 2021 three year plan, positive youth development was added as a priority to ensure that all at-risk youth have access to services. Administrative funds will be allocated to support the JJ specialist and a grants management representative, and funding will be allocated for the SAG. Funding to address red will be awarded to local providers in communities with large numbers of african american youths and with the greatest needs. The goal is to reduce contact with the juvenile justice system by providing prevention and early intervention services to african american youth. Funding allocated for positive youth development (PYD) will be used to fund programs that serve youth of all races. The target population will be at-risk youths living in impoverished communities where drug abuse and crime is high, and where there is limited access to financial or other resources. Funding will be awarded continuation programs for both red and PYD. These programs were selected by ohio's SAG in 2020 and this will be their third year of funding to begin on october 1, 2022. Applicants were directed to ojjdp's model programs guide to ensure effective programming, and will continue to provide services such as mentoring, skill building, job readiness, counseling, and family therapy. Effectiveness will continue to be closely monitored by DYS' grant management representative. Deliverables include services and programming for at-risk youth of all races, between the agencies of 10 and 17. Products will include quarterly and annual performance reports with performance/progress tracked using ojjdp's predefined performance measures for the red and PYD program areas performance reports will be reviewed quarterly to ensure each program is on task and making adequate progress towards reaching the intended outcomes. Additionally, juvenile court and arrest data will be used to determine whether programs have had an impact on reducing juvenile crime and delinquency, and/or reducing the number of minority youth who have contact with the juvenile justice system.