Ohio Correctional System Master Plan

As the prison population continued to increase due to sentencing guidelines and the “war on drugs”, Ohio continued to expand with predominantly dormitory-based prisons. In late 2014, the State was operating at 137% of capacity and did not have adequate space to meet the rehabilitation goals of the system.

The comprehensive master plan was undertaken to provide a basis for meeting eight “Vision Goals” articulated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. The key recommendations of the study included:

• Reassignment of over 8,000 inmates with sentences of 12 months or less to community corrections.
• Development of seven 100-160-bed “healing centers” for the mentally ill population.
• Expansion of program and housing facilities and programs for women, including a new mothers and babies village.
• Expansion of 180 acute and sub-acute hospital beds at the central prison medical complex.
• Sub-division of dormitory housing units into smaller living clusters with cubicles.
• Creation of 2,200-bed new geriatric and general custody prison on the site of an decommissioned facility with special emphasis on the needs of elderly inmates.
• Expansion of program space in all restrictive housing units.