Friction delays work on prison's rec area

YOUNGSTOWN -- Keith Fletcher, a spokesman for the Ohio State Penitentiary, said construction workers who are building an outdoor recreational area for prisoners were not working today because of friction over prison security.
The recreation area is outside the prison but inside its security fence, which means that the workers and their toolboxes are subject to searches, according to prison regulations.
Fletcher said the workers were told they would be searched when the contract was awarded. "Security is our No. 1 issue," Fletcher said.
The spokesman said the situation was "not a job action" but that workers were upset because the searches are not always conducted the same way.
Fletcher compared the situation to not all passengers being checked the same way at an airport. Workers are about halfway through a 400-day contract.
Fletcher said there would be talks later today with the general contractor to resolve the situation.