Union members to protest prison job cuts outside of Belmont Correctional Institution

April 30, 2008 - OCSEA members will hold an informational picket this Friday, May 2, 5:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., in front of the Belmont Correctional Institution.

The group is protesting agency budget cuts designed to eliminate 701 positions statewide in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.

A statewide media effort set for the same day is being coordinated by other corrections chapters and OCSEA headquarters in Columbus.

Union leadership at the Belmont Correctional Institution was notified that 16 positions, both union and management, will be lost in this first round of budget cuts. Although no security positions have been targeted, local union leaders say that jobs important to the operation of BeCI have been placed on the chopping block once again.

This is the third set of cutbacks to hit union employees in the last 5 years. The first two impacted security positions and the combining of crucial positions including:

• Inmate Job Coordinator
• Identification Officer
• Secretaries
• Food Service
• Maintenance Workers and
• some security positions such as Sergeants.

At a time when the Ohio's prison inmate population has reached a historic all time high ─ currently at 50,099, and an anticipated number of 55,000 by 2010 ─  these cuts appear to be made in haste.

DR&C has had all time high records of violence, disruptions and disobedience caused by the increased inmate population.

See Related

Agreement signed to save jobs in DR&C

Layoff Resources

State Budget