A bill that lawmakers in both chambers of the Ohio Legislature unanimously passed might soon be used to make needed repairs to the 26-year-old Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
The bill is on its way to Gov. John Kasich, who will sign it, said Rob Nichols, the governor’s spokesman.
Senate Bill 82, sponsored by State Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, would allow a corrections commission to issue securities to the jails for capital improvements.
“The passage of Senate Bill 82 is a result of bipartisan efforts and is reassurance that financial relief will be available to the counties housing Ohio’s four regional jails,” said Gentile, whose district includes Athens. “This bill will keep the costs of operating and maintaining regional jails manageable for the counties.”
If enacted, the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail would probably first seek to repair the roof of the building and increase the number of beds for female inmates, Warden Jeremy Tolson said.
“We expected it to get through. I think it’s good news for our board,” Tolson said, adding, the bill “allows us to move forward with capital improvements.”
Jail officials said it would cost between $200,000 and $250,000 to make the repairs, Tolson said.
“At the regional jail, there’s definitely some structural work that needs done,” Athens County Commissioner Charlie Adkins said, echoing Tolson’s concerns about needing to expand the maximum number of female inmate beds.
For some like Adkins, the bill is “common sense,” and Adkins said he was “not sure why it wasn’t there before.”
“There’s not money there to just remodel or build on,” Adkins said. “This will help some long-term planning processes for the regional jail board and the jail staff to work the future issues out.”
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This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Bill may help get funding for jail"
