While the Hamilton County prosecutor and Cincinnati police have criticized juvenile judges for not being tough enough on teen offenders, Juvenile Court Judge Kari Bloom said the primary goal of juvenile court is education and reform — not punishment.
Bloom said the court considers multiple factors when determining whether a child will be detained or released.
“There is guidance in the law, from the federal government, and from the behavioral health community on who should be held, when, why and how long,” Bloom said.
Like adult courts, there are mandatory sentences that happen in juvenile court as well.
“So, there are times that we have to send a kid to the Department of Youth Services, which is prison for kids,” she said.
Those situations include when a gun is shown or shot during an offense, Bloom said.
Last month, Cincinnati police arrested two teenagers for an assault on 6th and Walnut. The 14-year-old allegedly involved in the assault was released from juvenile detention with an ankle monitor.