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Corrections assembly president offers testimony before finance subcommittee
OCSEA: Blue ribbon prison commission needed

April 4, 2007 - OCSEA's Corrections Assembly President Tim Shafer yesterday urged a panel of legislators to create a broad task force to address the numerous problems the state's prison system faces in light of predictions that the inmate population will explode in the next few years.

Above: OCSEA / DRC Assembly President Tim Shafer testifies before a subcommittee in the Ohio House Tuesday evening.

Speaking before the Transportation and Justice subcommittee of the Ohio House of Representatives Finance Committee, Shafer said, "[OCSEA suggests] that the commission represents a cross section of experts and stakeholders including representatives from the General Assembly, the department, the judiciary, academia, and the workforce."

"Time is of the essence. Our prison population is expected to grow by 20 percent in 5 years and 37 percent in 10 years."

With the current prisoner count reaching historical highs and lagging staffing levels, Shafer urged legislators to act swiftly to prevent a re-occurrence of the 1993 riot at a prison in Lucasville.

Shafer's proposal and testimony received a warm reception from subcommittee members Rep. Larry Flowers, Rep. Bob Hagan, Rep. Dan Stewart and Chairman Tom Patton.

Patton is one of the legislators who was shocked by what he saw when he toured the Lorain Correctional Institution last Friday, telling a Plain Dealer reporter that the current staffing level in the prisons "just doesn't make sense."

Under questioning by subcommittee members, Shafer testified that Ohio lags behind other states in prison staffing and suggested that state officials set a goal of reaching the national average for its inmate-to-correction officer ratio.

See Related

Union Blog on legislator who questioned staffing levels in prisons

News article reports that legislator said staffing levels in prisons "just doesn't make sense"

Prepared Remarks / Testimony of Tim Shafer, DRC Assembly President

Ohio House of Representatives Transportation and Justice Subcommittee

Ohio House of Representatives Finance and Appropriations Committee

AFSCME Corrections United Resources

Website of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction