LIMA — While residents in the vicinity of Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution may have seen new fencing and razor ribbon being installed at the facility, that does not mean that higher level offenders will be housed there, according to both AOCI and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
“That would be a big rumor,” AOCI Public Information Officer Jodi Factor said. “We added some stuff to our fences here recently, and I think people saw that happening and thought we must be increasing our security level. That’s the only thing we can figure out because we’ve had inmates asking us, and we’ve had staff saying things. There has been no discussion of that to this point.”
Instead, the new fencing is being installed due to the age of the current fencing, as well as, “with the escapes from Oakwood a couple of years ago, and (having) regional people come in and observe things we can improve on,” Factor said.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction confirmed in an email to The Lima News that AOCI is not adding any higher-level offenders to the facility.
Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution is currently designed to house up to Level 2 offenders, which includes such security as “a double perimeter, razor ribbon reinforced, alarmed and patrolled fence,” according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction website. “Inmates tend to receive greater autonomy and freedom of movement during the day so as to encourage pro-social behavior and programming as part of the 3-tier prison system.”
Level 3 and 4 classifications are given to inmates who “are more likely to or have previously engaged in, disruptive prison behavior,” according to the ODRC, with Level 4 requiring more security than the lower levels. Level 5 is the highest security level given, reserved for commit violent acts, are prone to riots or disruptions and represent a serious security threat.
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