Inmates at state prison in Youngstown strike to protest programming cuts

COLUMBUS (AP) - Inmates at Ohio's highest-security prison have entered the second week of a hunger strike protesting recreation and programming restrictions that include a ban on religious gatherings.

A prisons department spokeswoman said nine inmates at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown were continuing to refuse meals as of Friday, in a protest that began March 19. The prison includes Ohio's death row and super-maximum security lockdown.

Spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said most inmates have been prohibited from roaming their enclosed housing units freely, and group programming has been halted for the highest-security inmates. She cited safety and security concerns, including a serious assault on staff, in the decision.

Striking inmates argue religious programming is a constitutionally protected right.

Smith said inmates still have access to one-on-one religious services.