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Does Ohio Prisons Offer Conjugal Visits?

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Oct 21, 2023 • 5 min read

Does Ohio offer conjugal visits?

Ohio, the 7th largest state by population, operates 27 state prisons that are administered by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) which has a motto of “Reduce recidivism among those we touch.”

There are 27 state prisons in Ohio and its prison system is the sixth largest in the entire United States of America. This is why ODRC is a force to reckon with, it has 12,000+ active duty personnel and 8,000+ volunteers and has a prison system spending budget of $1.8 billion which is quite higher when compared with other states.

As a professional force, ODRC ensures each inmate serves their time per the sentence they have been awarded and are given proper rehabilitation programs so that when they go back to society, they are a dedicated member and provide services for the greater good.

There are multiple correctional programs that ORDC uses and each is different depending upon the kind of prison an inmate is sent to.

Conjugal visits in Ohio: Does Ohio offer conjugal visits?

Conjugal visits are a very hot topic in the United States of America and this is why only 4 states allow them to happen. As of 2022, the State of Ohio under the force of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections does not offer conjugal visits to its inmates.

The 4 states that offer conjugal visits in the United States of America include New York, Washington, California, and Connecticut.

Interestingly the first US state to offer a conjugal visit was Mississippi, however, as time passed and the governors changed, Mississippi changed the laws, and, similar to Ohio, it also does not offer conjugal visits.

Are there any benefits for conjugal visits in Ohio?

Just like the entire subject of conjugal visits is well debated, the same goes with the benefits of conjugal visits and Ohio is no different. There is a petition on Change.Org which asks Governor Kasich to allow conjugal visits and offers several advantages. Still, so far the Governor has not allowed that to happen in his state.

Conjugal visits are said to help retain the family structures and can be helpful when a person is going back to society after serving a long sentence.

They are also believed to develop good character in an inmate due to two things: one being that conjugal visits are only offered to inmates who offer extremely good behavior therefore this gives the inmate an upper hand so that good behavior can be injected into them. Secondly, when the conjugal visit happens, it has been discovered that this adds a little hope to the inmate about their family’s past and they work even hard to be back with them once again.

However, many people believe it is unnecessary and since the purpose of the inmate is to “corrected” for the crime they have committed, giving them hopes of conjugal visits only hurts the victim more as they are not fully relieved that the deserving punishment will be given.

Therefore, everything can be added in the case of Ohio as criminals of Ohio are no different. Any decision to be made should be well reflected on the prison behavior and long term benefits for the state of Ohio which it lacks right now.

What does the Ohio law say about Conjugal visits?

As per the Lyons v. Gilligan (1974), a sentence at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio says that the prisoners or inmates have no constitutional rights to conjugal visits during a sentence with their spouse. The hearing also made it clear that as per US Constitution, a Conjugal visit is a privilege and is not a right.

The state of Ohio was approached by the inmates of the Marion, Ohio Correctional Institution where they brought out legal action against the state prison system of Ohio which required as per the eight amendments that conjugal visits are their right, however, the court disagreed to their statement and did not move in the direction to allow conjugal visits in Ohio.

What kinds of prisons are present in the state of Ohio?

There are 5 types of prison facilities that are present in the state of Ohio. Depending upon the nature of each prison, they are managed by a different authority and an inmate will be sent there. These prisons include:

State Prisons: State prisons are administered by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
County Jails: County jails are administered by the Sheriff’s office but they do seek administrator services from ODRC.
Juvenile Facilities: Ohio has three different juvenile facilities which are operated and administered by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
Private Facilities: As of 2022, three different private facilities are operated by private companies that exist in Ohio.
Federal Prisons: Federal prisons in Ohio are for criminals that conduct a federal crime and are operated outside of the jurisdiction of ODRC.

What are the state prisons in Ohio?

There are 27 different state prisons in Ohio. These includes:

Allen Correctional Institution
Belmont Correctional Institution
Chillicothe Correctional Institution
Correctional Reception Center
Dayton Correctional Institution
Franklin Medical Center
Grafton Correctional Institution
Hocking Correctional Facility
Lebanon Correctional Institution
London Correctional Institution
Lorain Correctional Institution
Madison Correctional Institution
Mansfield Correctional Institution
Mansfield Correctional Institution
Marion Correctional Institution
Noble Correctional Institution
Northeast Reintegration Center
Ohio Reformatory for Women
Ohio State Penitentiary
Pickaway Correctional Institution
Richland Correctional Institution
Ross Correctional Institution
Southeastern Correctional Institution
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
Toledo Correctional Institution
Trumbull Correctional Institution
Warren Correctional Institution

What are the private prisons in Ohio?

There are three different private prisons in Ohio. These include:

Lake Erie Correctional Institution:

It is a maximum and medium level security prison which is operated by CoreCivic.

The private prison can house 1,498 inmates and is located at 501 Thompson Road, Conneaut, Ohio.

North Central Correctional Complex:

It is a maximum and medium level security prison which is operated by Management and Training Corporation.

The private prison is located at 670 Marion Williamsport Road East Marion, Ohio. It has a capacity of 2,893 inmates and was opened in 1994.

Northeast Ohio Correctional Center:

It is a medium-security prison that is operated by CoreCivic.

The private prison has a capacity of 2,016 inmates and was opened at 2240 Hubbard Road, Youngstown, Ohio.

What are Juvenile Facilities in Ohio?

Ohio has three different juvenile facilities. These include:

Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility:

The facility serves male youth. It offers multiple programs in accredited high school, behavioral health services, recreation, religious services, community service opportunities, and reentry services.

Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility:

The facility serves male youth. It offers multiple programs and targets a variety of issues such as anger, aggression, violence, depression, anxiety, self-injury, sleep disturbances, and more. The goal is to ensure the male youth after servicing in this facility can go back to society and be successful in their life.

Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility:

The facility serves male youth and offers unique programs that include special living units, parenting programs, and staff-youth mentoring programs.

What prisons are closed in Ohio?

As of 2022, 5 different prisons are closed in Ohio. These prisons include:

Lima Correctional Institution
North Coast Correctional Treatment Facility
Ohio Penitentiary Correctional Facility
Ohio State Reformatory
Orient Correctional Institution