Budget Constraints Force Ohio County to Move Female Prisoners

by Derek Gilna        

The Lorain County, Ohio women’s detention center has fallen victim to the failed attempt of county officials to raise the sales tax to continue funding the separate facility. According to Lorain County Sheriff Bill Stammitti, the roughly 54 females will now be housed in a separate wing of the main county jail facility to conserve resources.

The budget for the jail is a little more than $12 million, and $4.9 million is allotted for road deputies.  The Sheriff was not given the funds necessary to keep the separate women’s facility open without jeopardizing the rest of his operations, he said, adding “As long as you leave my deputy force in place, I can make do at the jail.”

The separate facility was made available on a yearly contractual basis with the city of Elyria, and Stammitti requested that the County Board give notice to the city of their intent not to renew the contract when it expires.

Stammitti noted that it was nice to have the separate facility, but that it often complicated medical care in emergencies.  At the main jail, he noted, there is generally a nurse or other medical personnel available to make prompt assessments of situations. Still, he was unhappy about the closing, stating, “I truly regret doing this because this jail gave us the proper housing for our females.  It was the perfect situation for us, and if we could pick it up and just move it to use, we would still use it.  But at the end of the day, we have to protect our core, and that’s the road patrol and the (main) jail.”

The separate women’s facility had been vacant for more than two years when Lorain County agreed to use it in 2012, to much fanfare, but budget constraints have once again caused it to shut its doors.  Many other local jails are also underutilized or facing closure, as officials, like Stammitti, are finally coming to realize that many nonviolent offenders, not best served by incarceration, should be released whenever possible.

Source: “Female inmates to be rehoused at Lorain County Jail,” by Lisa Roberson, http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com, November 21, 2013