State inspection finds Richland County Jail in full compliance with 178 standards
Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon announced Wednesday the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction recently inspected the Richland County Jail and it was found to be in 100% compliance.
The full-service jail is in compliance with 178 standards — 53 of them considered “essential” and 125 designated “important.”
The annual jail inspection took place on Nov. 21, which was restricted to assessing compliance with a group of standards selected from the Standards for Jails in Ohio. The group of standards being inspected focused on Reception and Release, Classification, Security, Housing, Sanitation and Environmental Conditions, Communication, Visitation, Medical and Mental Health Services, Food Service, Recreation and Programming, Inmate Discipline, Administrative Segregation, Grievance, Staffing, and Staff Training.
The inspection consisted of inspectors receiving and/or reviewing requested documentation and/or materials, touring selected areas of the jail, and having discussions with various staff.
The total actual general housing capacity for the Richland County Jail is 234. On the date of the jail inspection, there were 181 inmates incarcerated. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's recommended housing of 234 at the jail is based on total available living space and other requirements. Officials should maintain prisoner counts within the department’s recommended capacity figure.
The sheriff credited the staff at the jail for the compliance results.
“The efforts made daily by the staff at the jail shows how dedicated our employees are, following the established policy and procedures, and maintaining compliance to the standards set forth by the State of Ohio," Sheldon said. "I am very proud of our staff.”
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland County Jail 100 percent compliant following state inspection
