The Ohio State Prison System

In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction(DRC/ODRC) is the division in charge of managing prisons. Ohio has twenty-seven state prisons for adults and three other facilities for juveniles currently, making it the sixth-largest prison system in the U.S.A. Ohio county and state correctional establishments are by and large maintained separately from one another. Inmates in Ohio prisons can be contacted via mail, by phone call and visitation is permitted as well.

Prisons in Ohio are grouped into three sections for managerial operations; south, north, and specialty. These parts are overseen by 3 representative administrators who are called regional directors. They deal with the prison and parole forms at their different locales and are utilized as the managerial programs for various superintendents and parole local administrators. Support services offered in Ohio correctional facilities include recreation, education, classification, critical incident management, religious services, unit management, security, and youthful offender programming.

What is the Difference Between Jail and Prison in Ohio?

Jails are typically regional establishments under the jurisdiction of a city, neighborhood area, or county. Jails are momentary holding correctional facilities for the recently arrested persons and those anticipating sentencing or a court trial. Also, persons sentenced to serve short jail terms (not up to a year) might be placed in jail. Prisons are run by the state and federal government, and are facilities where convicts serve longer punishments. Individuals who have been seen as guilty of violating a state law are normally sent to the prison. Ohio also has correctional facilities that are privately owned, and the state doesn't have as much power over the operation of such facilities.

How Many Prisons are in Ohio?

Ohio operates twenty-seven state prisons for adults and also three distinct faculties for juveniles. Ohio state prisons are categorized into the maximum, medium, and minimum security prisons.

• Maximum Security Prison: This type of prison has high-security levels that offer an improved degree of defense to keep prisoners from getting away and from causing damage to different detainees or security officers.
• Medium Security Prison: This is the standard establishment used to house most convicts. They include confined style housing, equipped security guards, and a significantly more controlled everyday schedule. Every convict restricted to such a prison is viewed as a high-risk criminal.
• Minimum Security Prison: This is also referred to as "government prison camps," and is intended for guilty convicts who are not dangerous, violent, or liable to escape. Minimum security prison has dorms and room lodging, a moderately low staff-to-detainee proportion, and restricted or no perimeter fencing.
• Juvenile:A person younger than 18 is viewed as a Juvenile. Any individual who isn't of legal age is never placed in a prison with adult offenders, and are rather locked up in a facility that is structured solely for juveniles.

How do I search for an Inmate in Ohio State Prison?

To find available data about an inmate that is currently imprisoned in Ohio prison, an interested person can make use of the Ohio Offender Search/Inmate Locator. The Inmate Locator is presently under the administration of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ORDC), and is managed by the The Bureau of Records Management (BORM). The Offender Search contains current details of prisoners, ex-offenders, and current detainment facilities.

Information on inmates is readily available to the general public for free by inputting the details of the prisoner into the Inmate Locator site such as first name, last name, county of commitment, status, and case number. Upon search, the result presented will showcase the offender's location, details of the offense, picture of the offender, admission date, and release date.

Are Incarceration Records Public in Ohio?

Incarceration records in Ohio contain the official information of individuals restricted and confined in correctional facilities, and this data is accessible to residents of Ohio in compliance with Ohio's Public Records Act. Incarceration records are preserved by the  Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction(DRC/ODRC) and these records consist;

• The full name of the inmate and any known aliases
• Birthdate, ethnicity, and details of unique physical descriptors
• A mugshot and fingerprints
• All previous and current indictments
• Arrest records and outstanding warrants
• Conviction information

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Ohio?

Ohio jail records, otherwise called rap sheets, can be accessed via Ohio Offender Search/Inmate Locator. Being public records, jail documents are only restricted if they contain information that cannot be made public or are sealed. These files cover a wide variety of criminal information, which includes, indictment, physical descriptions, the details of an arrest, convictions, pending and finalized dispositions. Jail records are collated at the state level and county level. However, some records cannot be found online but can be acquired through the court where the case was heard.

Can Jail Records be Expunged in Ohio?

Ohio does not allow jail records to be expunged (destroyed or removed totally), but permits certain criminal records to be sealed. However, in Ohio, expungement and sealing are used interchangeably. When a record is sealed, evidence of the criminal charges is kept from public view, and can only be obtained by court order. Furthermore, an expunged criminal record will not show up when a person's criminal record is searched.

To seal a jail record, obtain a certified copy of the Judgment Order of Conviction at the Clerk of Court Office where the case was heard. After this, complete the Application for Sealing of a Criminal Record and Judgment Entry for Sealing and make three copies of each. The court charges $50 to process Sealing applications and if the applicant cannot afford such a fee, a poverty affidavit can be filled and submitted to the court as well. The court will pick the hearing date and the requestor will have to appear in court to convince the judge why the jail record should be sealed. The judge may decide to give instant judgment or take some time. Nevertheless, a copy of the judgment will be mailed to the applicant. Crimes not eligible for expungements in Ohio include all offenses related to sexual activities, violence, and traffic violations.