Day 40 – Ohio Prison Facts – On The Road To Mayor

  
I just got back from the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. 

We’re spending the weekend camping at the Shelby / Mansfield KOA. 

The movie Shawshank Redemption was filmed there. 

Look at this graph from CNN on how much money we spend per inmate versus per student. 

 
 From here:

For FY 2012, the average cost to incarcerate an inmate in an Ohio prison was $24,870 per year, or $68.14 per day.

As of July 1, 2012, Ohio’s adult prison system consisted of 28 correctional institutions, approximately 12,000 employees, and 49,710 inmates.

And from here:  

Percent of adult males incarcerated by race and ethnicity: 
We incarcerate longer than other countries. And the War on Drugs has increased our rates. 

We, as a nation, need to have a discussion about this. 

But I truly believe all politics is local. 

Akron needs to ask:

• Is there a better way to handle drug offenders?
• Are minorities truly committing more crimes in our city than whites?
• How can we help felons get back on their feet once they are out?

This begins and ends at the city level. 

I believe we can do better. 

I highly recommend taking a trip to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. Prisons are a bigger part of our country than any country in the world. You should probably understand what you’re paying for. 

Plus, they’ve even got ghost tours.