Ohio House OKs $250 million for local jail construction, renovations; bill heads to Senate

State lawmakers want to earmark $250 million for local jail construction and renovations — an idea that county officials applaud.

If approved, it’ll be a massive surge in state money for local governments. Currently, there are 89 full-service jails across Ohio operated by county sheriffs and local police departments.

County jails need to increase mental health and drug addiction treatment capacity, add beds for incarcerated women and improve safety, according to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. The association estimates that $2.2 billion is needed to pay for all the needed jail construction work.

Since 2021, the DeWine administration has earmarked $101 million in state money to help counties renovate or replace jails. Several new jails will greatly expand bed capacities. In Gallia County, for example, $5.5 million in state money will help build a 120-bed facility, replacing an 11-bed lockup used since 1964.

So far 23 jails have received state money for jail renovations, expansions or replacements.

House Bill 2, which the Ohio House approved Wednesday, would earmark an additional $100 million for large county jail projects and $150 million for smaller county jail projects. The Ohio Senate will now consider the bill.

Grants would be based on financial need and an assessment of the need for more jail beds or renovations.

Across Ohio, about 19,000 people are incarcerated in jails on any given day. The state prison system holds another 44,600 people.

Jails are not the same as prisons. They are temporary holding facilities for people who are just arrested, awaiting court appearances, held pretrial on bonds or serving short-term sentences.

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio lobbyist Gary Daniels said while some jails need renovations, a building spree isn’t the right answer.

“The best way to safely reduce jail populations around Ohio is via thoughtful, comprehensive bail reform. Legislators rejected such legislation last session, opting to perpetuate this serious problem. This keeps our jails packed full of people otherwise free to go, but who cannot afford bail,” he said. “Now legislators double down by spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to renovate and construct more jails. This ensures Ohioans will pay even more for our leaders’ stubborn refusal to enact meaningful reform measures.”

Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.