Welcome to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Officials may look at renting beds or expand using electronic monitoring or GPS to avoid overcrowding at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio as was discussed during Wednesday’s board meeting.
Jim Dennis, CCNO Executive Director, told board members that CCNO’s population peaked to 627 last weekend and an overcrowding emergency had been declared. Defiance and Henry counties, along with the City of Toledo, were unable to bring new offenders to the jail on Monday until population figures were reduced which occurred about nine hours after the emergency had been declared.
When asked what created the overcrowding condition, Mr. Dennis said several factors were involved to include three and 10-day jail stays along with weekenders who serve 20 to 30 weekends to complete their sentence time.
Mr. Dennis suggested one option to avoid overcrowding is allowing CCNO to rent beds from nearby jails to include Putnam, Van Wert, and Seneca counties as well as halfway houses. In addition, the electronic monitoring program should be expanded to allow more house arrests.
Wednesday’s offender population stood at 578 or 90 percent. The average daily population in June was 565 or 88 percent and in July 578 or 90 percent.
Board members authorized jail officials to proceed with completing the video arraignment project at a cost of $94,350. That would place equipment in Toledo Municipal Courts; Lucas County Common Pleas Courts; Defiance Municipal and Common Pleas Courts; Fulton County Eastern District Court; an additional unit at CCNO; and one additional unit for the counties use in Fulton, Henry and Williams counties.
Mr. Dennis said currently video arraignment is available in nine of the 24 courts. He noted that CCNO has to use more fuel and drive more miles as more offenders are being transported to court hearings. He said placement of video arraignment in all courts would reduce bus trips, especially to Lucas County and the City of Toledo, and enhance security.
In other business, board members accepted two bids and rejected a third.
A bid from Myers Equipment for the purchase of a new transportation bus at a cost of $120,367 was approved. A second bid from Cardinal bus at $156,400 was rejected.
Also accepted was a bid from Perry Corp. out of Toledo to lease copiers at a cost of .019 cents per copy for a five-year period. Also submitting bids were MidCity Office Supplies of Auburn, Ind., and Current Office Solutions of Bryan each at a cost of .02 cents per copy.
Board members rejected four bids received to re-roof the CCNO buildings. Cost was estimated at $123,775 although prices ranged from a low of $196,201 to a high of $313,100. Bid specifications will be revised and new bids will be sought.
Members authorized the purchase of a 2005 vehicle from Bryan Ford with the insurance reimbursement check of $11,400 received when a CCNO vehicle was damaged by flooding in Toledo.
Mr. Dennis said he is working with the Ohio Department of Corrections to share information on offenders and their behavior while incarcerated to help enhance security in local facilities and state prisons.
The sixth annual Ohio Tactical Competition will be held Sept. 16. CCNO serves as the official competition site for Ohio with the winner attending the national competition in Florida.
This site was updated on April 14, 2008