Difference Between Ohio and the Federal Government Correctional Facilities

There are many corrections options in the state of Ohio. With 32 institutions and approximately 44,000 inmates, Ohio strives to maintain very cost efficient, safe, and sanitary facilities. Of the 32 institutions only three are all female facilities. Ohio has two privately owned prisons, North Coast Correction Treatment Facility (NCCTF) and Lake Erie Correctional Institute. The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) has recently developed a program called Second Chance to Change Initiative. This is a strategy for the Intensive Program Prisons (IPPs). Intensive Program Prisons refer to ten, ninety-day programs that deal in specialized treatment. Several of the programs include drug and alcohol treatment, academic and vocational training, as well as an IPP for offenders convicted of drunken driving. Ohio also has pre-release programs. The Ohio Penal Industries (OPI), is a division of the Ohio DRC, is dedicated to helping prisoners prepare to enter society. They provide training in numerous fields like business and office services, assembly and manufacturing services. They also work on instilling good work habits. The prisoners are paid for their services and their earnings are used for child-support, court costs, medical co-pays, and victim compensation.
According to the Ohio DRC, having these work programs within the institutions, recidivism has been approximately 18% lower for inmates participating in OPI shops than other training programs. Another program in Ohio is the Offender Job Linkage (OJL) Program. This program enhances offenders' employability by linking the Job ready prisoners with Ohio businesses, prior to release. Most institutions in Ohio have some mix of community service programs, job and vocational programs, and of course pre-release programs. Ohio also has half-way houses and home confinement to help prisoners ease into society.