Coronavirus Continues To Spread In Ohio Prisons

COLUMBUS, OH — Gov. Mike DeWine denied the early release of 84 inmates in Ohio, even as more prisoners test positive for the new coronavirus. Critics of Ohio's prison response to COVID-19 have urged the governor to consider releasing thousands of inmates.

The governor also announced that comprehensive testing of inmates at Marion Correctional Institution, Pickaway Correctional Institution and Franklin Medical Center has begun. With more testing, more cases of COVID-19 are now being confirmed within Ohio prisons.

One prison dorm at Marion has already been tested. Of the 152 inmates held there, 39 percent tested positive for COVID-19. DeWine and state officials said many of the inmates did not show symptoms of the virus.

"While we know coronavirus does pose a specific threat to congregate settings, this comprehensive testing will give us insight on both how to best coordinate response at these facilities, as well as data and insight on how comprehensive testing within a cohort will affect testing numbers," DeWine said on Friday.

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Of the state's nearly 49,000 inmates, more than 31,000 have been quarantined. An Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections spokesperson said quarantined inmates may have been exposed to the virus but have not shown symptoms of the sickness.

Since the start of the outbreak, nearly 700 prisoners have tested positive for the virus. At least three Ohio inmates and one prison guard have died because of COVID-19, officials said.

According to Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit policy research firm, 9,479 Ohio inmates are over the age of 50 and are, therefore, at high risk if they contract COVID-19.

As of March 17, there were 14,287 Level 1 inmates at Ohio prisons, according to ODRC data obtained by Patch. In 2019, were also 2,608 inmates who were incarcerated because of drug possession offenses.

Level 1 offenders are usually housed in dorms and have significant freedom of movement, according to Policy Matters Ohio researcher Piet Van Lier. Inmates at this security level can be carefully screened for work details outside the secured perimeter or for housing in a single fence camp.

To read more about the spread of COVID-19 in Ohio's prisons, read Patch's earlier article: "More Than Half Of Ohio's Inmates Quarantined Due To Coronavirus."