22 jobs to be lost at Ohio State Penitentiary

YOUNGSTOWN — The Ohio State Penitentiary will abolish 22 jobs to help meet projected statewide budget constraints, said Warden David Bobby.

Posting of the jobs being abolished was done last week. Bobby said that, because of the union “bumping” process, not all 22 employees will lose their jobs, some will be able to transfer to other facilities. Corrections officers are not being cut, he said.

The support staff and supervisory positions being abolished affect 12 union and 10 exempt employees at the supermax prison on Coitsville-Hubbard Road, the warden said.

Bobby said the process will begin in the next 30 days and likely won’t be finalized until July. Some positions may be divvied up between remaining workers, he said.

The supermax has 482 positions with 37 now vacant, Bobby said. The 22 will be cut from the current 445 jobs.

The warden said safety and security remain the prison’s No. 1 priority.