Criminal and Restorative Justice Resources: State of Ohio Resources

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation, known as BCI, is the state’s official crime lab serving the criminal justice community and protecting Ohio families. BCI also provides expert criminal investigative services to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies upon request. With offices throughout the state, BCI stands ready to respond 24/7 to local law enforcement agencies’ needs at no cost to the requesting agency.

The Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) is the juvenile corrections system for the state of Ohio. DYS is statutorily mandated to confine felony offenders, ages 10 to 21, who have been adjudicated and committed by one of Ohio’s 88 county juvenile courts. During their stay with DYS, youth are engaged in programming that is designed to address their criminological and behavioral needs. Each of the DYS facilities also operates a year-round school that offers general curriculum as well as vocation opportunities.

Through research, technology, evaluation, grants administration, and programmatic
initiatives, the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) strives to positively impact thestate of Ohio in the prevention and reduction of crime and delinquency throughout Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC or ODRC) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government that operates twenty-seven state prisons for adults and three facilities for juveniles.