Gabriella Celeste, the Policy Director at the Schubert Center for Child Studies, offered budget testimony to the Cuyahoga County Council on November 13, 2023, regarding the county's budget priorities for children and youth in the local juvenile justice system. Celeste highlighted the urgent need to confront young people's challenges, especially in the wake of structural inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her testimony emphasized the drop in school enrollment and the rise in gun access. Also, the distressing increase in mental health issues among young individuals, citing a significant surge in emergency room visits for mental health crises even before the pandemic. She noted that children and youth are, in fact, the most likely to be victimized, with the latest FBI crime data showing a doubling of violence against them.
Celeste underscored the need for trauma-informed interventions and relational supports aimed at fostering healing, connection, and stimulating experiences for young individuals and the goal of preventing children from entering the juvenile justice system. As such, she urged the importance of investing in youth well-being and healthy development through diversion measures, such as the court's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) and the Early Intervention and Diversion Center (EIDC).