When inmates are sent to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail to self-commit for a misdemeanor charge, they might be turned away due to lack of bed space. Primarily, this happens to more females than males.
Some inmates are being turned away when they report for their jail sentence at Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
When individuals are charged with a misdemeanor, they may have to commit themselves to the regional jail in Nelsonville. A lack of bed space, primarily for female inmates, causes that rejection of inmates who show up for a misdemeanor sentence, which is no more than six months in Athens County Municipal Court Judge Todd Grace said.
Grace said he gives those inmates credit, which acts as a day spent in jail on their record. The jail serves Athens, Hocking, Morgan, Perry and Vinton counties.
“It can affect the justice system," Grace said. "There are always reasons why there is limited space, mostly financial ones. The funding streams are not robust enough."
The inmates who are serving the short sentence terms are usually repeat offenders, violent offenders and people who are not following the rules of their probationary status, Grace said.
“The first time we find that jail is appropriate (for someone) would be a relatively short sentence,” Grace said.
When those inmates report for commitment and follow the orders the court has given them, it’s “not their fault” that there isn’t enough space at the jail for them.
“I do get entries that are prepared from individuals that have reported appropriately and were unable to serve," Grace said. "I give them credit for the days that they reported."
Female inmates have a higher chance of getting that credit because when space is tight, it's usually with female inmates, Grace said.
“It’s more likely that there will be a female inmate that would not have bed space available. That's true for all (affected) counties,” Grace said.
Teresia Trace, a correctional officer at the jail, said she sees problems stemming from not having enough beds for female inmates as well.
“They have to report the next day, they continue to report until there’s a bed open for them,” she said.
John VanBibber, the warden of the jail, said male inmates don’t get turned away as often, but it happens primarily with females because the facility is usually at capacity with female inmates.
That’s due to the number of female inmates increasing throughout the past 10 years, he said, adding that the facility has plans to expand, but final plans have not been decided.
In order to avoid one individual having a “benefit” of a credit of a day spent in jail over someone spending time in jail, Grace said he might have to lower the sentence duration across the board to keep the sentencing fair.
“I have people that are similarly situated. I want them to be similarly punished or try to get them in the same treatment systems,” Grace said. “It’s not ideal that there are times when they would go and be turned away for bed space issues.”
Grace said when bed space is low, there’s not another option for dealing with an influx of inmates.
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The inmates being turned away are usually guilty of a minor crime, Vanbibber said.
“It would be more along the lines of DUIs, domestic violence, minor assault,” VanBibber said.
Those guilty of rape or child molestation aren’t given the chance to self-commit, he added.
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