OHIO

Ohio is among a handful of jurisdictions that have managed to "downsize" prison systems by implementing sensible policy reforms, although the benefits have not been felt by women prisoners whose numbers continue to rise. Justice Strategies has examined the impact of sentencing and correctional reforms in Ohio and tracked the growth in the number of women behind state bars.

Number of women prisoners climbs in Ohio, bucking downward trend among men

Women’s prison population growth outstripped growth in the men’s population in every state during the past 27 years. A different trend has emerged since the end of 1999. Women continue to be disproportionately impacted in states where overall growth rates remain high. But among states that experienced little or no prison population growth, a large majority saw growth rates for female prisoners fall below rates for males.

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Ohio combines sentencing reform and community corrections to rein in prison budget

Ohio provides a remarkable example of policy reforms and investments in community-based alternative programs can yield correctional cost savings. State policymakers have managed to reduce the state’s prison population by more than 5,000, allowing closure of two prisons, and saving taxpayers more than $65 million a year.

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