Assaults continue at Indian River youth prison in Massillon, reviews underway

Assaults have continued at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Massillon and other sites run by the Ohio Department of Youth Services more than six months after a newspaper investigation revealed unsafe conditions at state prisons for youths.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating two incidents — one involving a staff member being injured — that took place in July at Indian River, Department of Youth Services spokesman Aaron Mulvey wrote in an email.

He said one occurred at approximately 11 p.m. July 26 in the hallway of a youth housing unit.

"A member of our staff was injured, and we take these incidents very seriously," Mulvey wrote.

In the other incident, an inmate gained access to a pepper spray canister and sprayed it on July 19, he said.

Kids behind bars: Chaos, violence and neglect plague youth prisons and detention centers

"No staff left the grounds due to any injuries," Mulvey wrote.

Specific details about the incidents and injuries to the staff member were not available.

He said the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office will review the reports for potential charges when they are finished.

Previous incidents have resulted in criminal charges against Indian River inmates being filed in Stark County Common Pleas Court.

Report: Violence, harassment, vacancies plague Indian River juvenile prison

On Tuesday, two youths, aged 18 and 19, were indicted by a Stark County grand jury on charges of vandalism and harassment with a bodily substance for incidents that occurred May 24 and June 5.

Previously, inmates at Indian River launched two riots in October 2022 , first taking over a housing unit and then two weeks later barricading themselves in a school building.

Gannett newspaper probe reveals unsafe conditions in Ohio youth prisons

The state's three youth prisons have been under review since November's publication of the results of an eight-month investigation by The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Columbus Dispatch, The Akron Beacon Journal, The Canton Repository and USA TODAY’s network of Ohio newspapers.

The report found that violence erupts without warning, leaving victims bloodied and scarred. Serious injuries and medical conditions, sometimes even deaths, go unnoticed or unreported for hours. The investigation revealed that guards struggle every day to maintain order, are overwhelmed, understaffed and fear for their safety.

Riot at Indian River: Juveniles barricaded inside Indian River School at correctional facility

Following publication of the newspapers' investigation, Gov. Mike DeWine tapped former Department of Youth Services Director Tom Stickrath to lead a task force to examine the system and recommend reforms.

After regular meetings with experts, Stickrath is drafting his report and expects to release it in the coming weeks. An early recommendation from the task force was to eventually close the large youth prisons and replace them with smaller, closer-to-home facilities. That major shift would require approval from lawmakers.

Local impact: Why Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wants to close Indian River juvenile facility in Massillon

Violence continues inside juvenile prisons

In the first six months of this year, Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility recorded 35 assaults on staff, 197 assaults on youth, 81 fights and 17 cases of sexual misconduct. The prison housed 153 youths in June.

By comparison, in the first six months of the year, Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility documented 37 assaults on staff, 102 assaults on youth, 59 fights and 26 cases of sexual misconduct among 140 youths. And at Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility, there were nine assaults on staff, 42 assaults on youth, 77 fights and three cases of sexual misconduct among its 150 youths.

USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Laura A. Bischoff contributed to this story.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Assaults continue at Indian River youth prison in Massillon, reviews underway