Ross Correctional Institution: Information, Visiting Hours, Is it a release Unit?

Ross Correctional Institution is a correctional institution located in Ohio. Everything you need to know about this facility including visiting hours, Sherif's office, and is it is a release unit?

Ross Correctional Institution
Ross Correctional Institution - Everything you should know about this prison

Located in Chillicothe, Ohio, Ross Correctional Institution is a close custody correctional facility that has a capacity of 2,037 and is a level 3 or a close security prison for men.

The facility also offers one dorm where medium-security offenders serve their time and is famous for having one of the most considerate, progressive, and excellent Medical services in the entire prison system of America.

The facility is monitored by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and was opened in 1987.

Information about Inmate Programs at Ross Correctional Institution:

Several vocational classes are offered in this prison that including:

Community Service:

Inmates are allowed to dedicate certain hours of their day to community service that covers a wide range of opportunities. However, all of the community services are done while inside the facility, unlike other community service programs where an inmate has to be on site.

These are the following community service programs offered:

  • Sewing teddy bears
  • Wrapping holiday presents
  • Habitat for humanity: doing carpentry work that can be later used while constructing a low-cost home.
  • Canine for Companies: helping to train canine dogs that will later serve security challenges.

Academic:

The Ross Correctional Institution offers multiple basic education courses for the inmates allowing them to earn their GED while serving their time. Additionally, Adult Basic Education is also provided to the inmates serving their time.

Vocational:

Following are the vocational programs being offered at Ross Correctional Institution:

  • Carpentry
  • Barbering
  • Administrative Office Technology

Religions Services:

In addition to other programs, the Ross Correctional Institution is also famous to provide religious services that include:

  • Bible Study for Christian faith followers
  • Islamic Quran study for Muslim followers
  • Jehovah Witness
  • Worship Service
  • Seventh-Day Adventist

Ross Correctional Institution Inmate List:

The capacity of Ross Correctional Institution is 2037, however, as of data from 2016, the institution is overcrowded with over 2085 inmates. The facility houses male offenders who are convicted for their crimes that fall under the Ohio State and Federal Laws.

To locate a prisoner, a visitor needs to contact the State Prison for information regarding the inmate, this is in case the details of the inmate are not being found on the Ohio inmate search page that covers the statewide information of inmates.

Apart from this, the following are some important contact information that can be used to inquire for further help or information.

Ross Correctional Institution mailing address:

Similar to other state prisons in the United States of America, Ross Correctional Institution also allows its inmates to receive letters from their family members and friends. Family members and friends can also send packages, however, they will be the first cross-examined by the inmate’s unit team or the authorized warden.

Ross Correctional Institution has not made a list of what packages are accepted or not but as a rule of thumb, anything with sharp edges that can be used to harm someone is prohibited.

The best way to check if the package you are sending to an inmate is approved or not, is good to check with the Ross Correctional Institution administration and this can be done by contacting the following number 740-774-7959 or through the help of email: drc.rci@odrc.state.oh.us.

Ross Correctional Institution can also be contacted on their Facebook page if you have a query regarding the kind of package you can send. Visit their Facebook profile here.

Once you know the kind of mail you want to send will be approved, the next step before finally dispatching it is to make sure it will have the following information on the parcel:

[Inmate name], [ID number] Southeastern Correctional Complex Lancaster Unit 5900 BIS Rd Lancaster, Ohio 43130

Ross Correctional Institution Visitation and Visitation Form:

Since Ross Correctional Institution is a level 3 prison this is the reason why visits can only be done through an appointment. To schedule an appointment, the following number is to be used: (740)-774-7959 extension 2022.

The best practice is to call the number 48 hours in advance between the working hours, especially from 9 am to 2:45 pm.

While booking your appointment, it is a must to know the inmate’s ID number issued on their admission to Ross Correctional Institution. The visiting is decided at the last two numbers of the inmate e.g. if the last two digits of the inmate’s ID number are odd numbers then the visitation will be allowed on odd dates and vice versa.

It is important to note that visitation will only occur on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:30 am to 2:15 pm. So while planning a visit, please keep the following days in mind.

However, to make the visitation even simpler, the Ross Correctional Institution also allows for the video visitations to take place with the help of JPAY. To make a video visitation, you will have to be on an inmate's approved list which can be upgraded by the warden’s approval.

Once you are on the approved personal’s list, you can sign up for a JPAY account and then book a 30 minutes long video visit. One thing to note is that you will be charged the JPAY fee which varies from region to region.

It is important to note there are a few limitations for visits as each inmate is given a 30-minute visit per day and a maximum of two adults are allowed to visit at any given time. Children are allowed to visit under the supervision of their guardian but no more than two children are allowed at a single time.

Additionally, each inmate is allowed a maximum number of 3 visits per week which does not include the visit of their attorney, law enforcement officer, or the visit of other professionals.

Lastly, visitors will not be processed after 8:30 am.

Ross Correctional Institution Prison Riots:

Riots at Ross Correctional Institution are somewhat of a lesser common phenomenon. While the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the authority responsible for the safety and security of all inmates, has improved its protocols to ensure riots do not occur, however, even then the riots do happen and have been deadly in the past.

Some do associate ongoing fights with the ethnical differences there are among the inmates as according to the data, 56% of the inmate population are African American and the remaining 43% of them are Caucasian whereas only 0.01% are classified to be as others.

In 2020, news spread across the internet that a few guards were arrested for making inmates fight one another for their entertainment purposes. The authorities took serious action and the guards were relieved from their duties.

Apart from this, Ross Correctional Institution has remained a fairly disciplined institute and authorities have been able to put their control where it matters. Additionally, Ross Correctional Institution has also established strict guidelines of policies, and inmates who are found to violate them serve consequences. These policies include:

  • Prison Rape Elimination Act.
  • Prison Sexual Misconduct: giving powers to guards to accept reports, respond on time, investigate them, and also prevent them from future retaliation.
  • Sexual Abuse Review team
  • Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex prohibition
  • PREA Risk Assessment and Accommodation Strategy

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