Ohio's prisons become increasingly overcrowded, new report finds

COLUMBUS

A new report by a legislative prison watchdog agency says that the number of inmates in Ohio prisons has increased significantly over the past decade.

The report released Friday by the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee says that the number of inmates increased 15.1 percent from 2005 to 2016.

During that time, prison overcrowding hit 132.1 percent, up from 114.8.

Director of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Gary Mohr says that by July 1, the state will set an all-time historic record of incarcerated Ohio residents.

The record is 51,273, set in November 2008. The population stood at 50,899 on May 2.

In the Mahoning Valley, inmate populations are increasing at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, where 504 inmates were held as of May 2, and at the Trumbull Correctional Institution in Warren, where 1,529 prisoners are incarcerated.

Mohr has said that he will not build another prison during his time as director, which could end in 2018.