Where Cuyahoga County judges house kids instead of prison raises more questions [Video]

This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their Cleveland newsletter, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook.

Concerned about overcrowded youth detention centers, Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court officials sought safer settings and a better path forward for kids.

Apryl Gordon agreed to offer such a place at her youth care center, Life’s Right Direction. Then, her Facebook posts came.

“Free Ass Whoopins!” and “one lick from that cord” could set them straight, Gordon wrote about the kids. She also posted offers to train others to make “mega money” by housing vulnerable children.

A Marshall Project – Cleveland investigation found that youth care centers operate with lax oversight from the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court — no regular onsite inspections and no quarterly reports. 

At the same time, success rates — whether a child completes the program without ending up back …