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| OH shifts prison population |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/20/2006 |
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COLUMBUS, OH - To cope with a rapid rise in prison population, Ohio has begun transferring inmates from around the state to a prison that has extra room. Inmates from prisons in Warren, Toledo and Marion who requested protection from other prisoners have been moved to a special unit at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, about 80 miles south of Columbus, prisons director Terry Collins said Wednesday. Ohio's prison population increased 7 percent in the past 17 months, adding to concerns about tensions between inmates and officers. Early this month, there were 46,807 inmates at the state's 32 prisons, Collins said; the population peaked in 1998 at 49,100. The state began shifting some inmates to Lucasville last week as part of a plan to free up 1,454 additional beds statewide, Collins said. He did not know how many inmates were part of the transfer. The heart of the plan calls for making additional beds available at six prisons - Toledo, Mansfield, Marion, Pickaway, Ross and Warren - by opening cellblocks that were closed several years ago or were built but never used. The process could take several months, and the cost of reopening the units hasn't been determined, Collins said. The state is still evaluating the cellblocks to see if plumbing and electrical work is needed. Collins told lawmakers Wednesday at a meeting of the state Correctional Institution Inspection Committee that while crowded conditions can raise safety concerns, "this is not a 'powder keg' situation." The oversight committee is in charge of inspecting state prisons and making policy recommendations to the state Legislature. The majority Ohio inmates are low-level, nonviolent offenders, Collins said. In 2005, 58 percent of them were serving sentences for offenses such as drug and property crimes. Collins encouraged lawmakers to pass legislation that expands community treatment programs and other alternatives for low-level felons. Shirley Pope, executive director of the inspection committee, said the crowded conditions need to be monitored closely. "Prison is an expensive necessity, and we need to make sure we use it for those who need it," she said. |
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