Richland Correctional Institution union, inmates worry safety at risk from inmate drug use

The union that represents staff at Richland Correctional Institution says repeated drug use by inmates is putting staff and inmate safety at risk.

“We have continued concerns about repeated drug use by inmates at the Richland Correctional Institution," Chris Mabe, the president of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, said in a prepared statement. "This is a serious issue because it puts staff at risk and affects the safety of other inmates in the facility. That’s why we have requested documents from (the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections) to determine the extent of the problem not only at Richland but also at other facilities across the state. We are demanding to know what’s being done to address this problem to ensure the safety of our staff."

The News Journal has been contacted several times in recent months by an inmate and a former inmate at Richland Correctional Institution who said they are concerned about health hazards created by drug use. RiCI housed 2,579 inmates as of June.

One source, who was granted anonymity for personal safety reasons, said inmates will vape just about anything, including pest control chemicals sprayed along the bottom of walls or on floors after first placing a piece of paper on the wet chemicals and then drying it. The individual said non-drug users at the prison then must breathe the same air in close quarters where ventilation is poor.

He said inmates regularly are segregated for not being able to pay for drug transactions in an effort to keep them safe from inmates from whom they bought drugs.

Former RiCI inmate says inmates subjected to drugs who aren't doing drugs

Jason West, 51, of Akron, who was released Sept. 11 after serving a three-year sentence at the minimum- and medium-security prison, contacted the News Journal about what he said is a drug problem at RiCI . He said there is no way for inmates who do not want to be exposed to these conditions to avoid them.

He said fentanyl is a threat.

"I'd been in there numerous times and I've lived it," said West, who said he was among non-drug users in RiCI.

West said he spent the past 16 years of his life in prison, serving time in 13 different Ohio penal institutions mostly on telecommunications harassment and intimidation charges.

"I've been to Lucasville, I've been to Ross. I've been to Trumbull, I've been to Pickaway," he said.

"My biggest thing is the lies they (RiCI) sells to the public. There's nothing good going on in there," West said in March during an interview at the News Journal. "It's violent. It's drug infested. It's horrible."

West said he wanted to make the public aware there are inmates subjected to drugs who aren't doing drugs.

"The health concerns, like fentanyl; here I am sitting in a prison and God knows what these guys are bringing in, if it's fentanyl. There's been a few cases inside the Ohio prison system where they've had to call hazmat crews in because fentanyl has been exposed inside of prisons," West said. "If that stuff gets out into the prison, it could kill everyone."

West said when an inmate is vaping or smoking a drug inside the prison, smoke billows everywhere.

"That's when I'm inhaling it and I don't want to be. So that's a health hazard," he said.

What a public records request shows

A targeted contraband search June 25 included drug-sniffing dogs. No details were immediately available regarding any specific contraband found.

JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman and chief of communications for the DRC, said, "As a standard safety practice, contraband interdiction efforts are ongoing within all our prisons. The Richland Correctional Institution is undergoing a targeted contraband search today (June 25) to identify and remove illegal items from the facility, such as tobacco, cell phones, drugs and weapons. Identifying and removing contraband is essential for the safe operation of our prisons."

Exactly what or how much contraband corrections officers found is not known. Smith said the prison officials have to process anything they found and she would get that information to the News Journal as soon as it is available.

The News Journal in March made a public records request to ODRC for records of contraband found at both RiCI and Mansfield Correctional Institution from January to March. The request resulted in 17 pages of dates where contraband was found in categories listed as drugs, cell phones, weapons or "unknown."

The News Journal received the public records June 10. Drugs, when identified, included mostly leafy marijuana, synthetic marijuana, THC and Suboxone/Buprenorphine. Methamphetamine was found inside both RiCI and MANCI, according to the record. Heroin was found at RiCI Jan. 30, the data showed.

"Several entries are marked as 'unknown,' meaning a substance was found suspected to be a drug, but they did not know what kind of drug it was (wet paper, for example, or a white powdery substance). We do not do field testing for substances," Smith said in an email regarding the three-month contraband list.

ODRC: Contraband could lead to discipline, criminal investigation

"Contraband is an unfortunate reality for any prison system or correctional setting, and interdiction strategies continue to be a priority for all of Ohio’s prisons. Every day, our staff work diligently to identify and remove items from our facilities that can present a security concern," Smith said in response to questions from the News Journal.

Corrections officers on June 27 conducted searches of inmates' personal items, making sure no one was violating the 2.4-cubic-feet rule on personal property. This resulted in some inmates' items being thrown out or confiscated, including inmates found with an extra prison blanket. One blanket is permitted per inmate.

"When an incarcerated person is found with contraband, that individual is subject to the institutional disciplinary process and a potential criminal investigation. Similarly, if someone is found conveying contraband inside a prison, that person is subject to a criminal investigation and potential criminal charges," Smith said.

"We are committed to keeping our staff and incarcerated population safe. We appreciate the ongoing dedication of our staff and law enforcement partners who help us achieve this important goal," Smith added.

Several efforts have been implemented across the state in the past few years to help combat this ongoing challenge, Smith said.

• Opened a mail processing center to digitize mail with 16 facilities onboarded, including Richland as of June. All other facilities continue to photocopy incoming mail until they onboard with the mail scanning system.
• Implemented a new legal mail process that requires senders to register and use control numbers on mail to reduce inappropriate content.
• Installed body scanners.
• Increased drug and contraband detection canine units to 11 canines, with additional canines planned within the coming months.
• Implemented hand-held substance-detection systems that analyze and identify unknown substances.
• Installed drone detection systems covering 16 institutions including Richland Correctional Institution.
• Heightened security barriers at several facilities, including Richland, to help prevent contraband fence throws.
• Continued unannounced targeted searches.
• Continued use of random, program, and for-cause drug testing among the incarcerated population.

Any person entering a correctional facility is subject to searches, including staff, visitors, contractors, and volunteers.

At Richland Correctional Institution, beyond the items mentioned above, Smith said the following strategies are in place:

• Institutional security entrance procedures have been evaluated, and changes have been implemented to reduce the accessibility and availability of contraband by prohibiting loose paper and open liquids from being permitted in through the entrance building. There has been a focus on perimeter security to make necessary adjustments and awareness in deterring contraband presence.
• In addition to the detection and security measures, Richland is focused on the delivery and availability of treatment services. Specific housing assignments have been identified for incarcerated individuals willing to engage in treatment in a residential setting supported by programming delivered by staff from Ohio Mental Health Addiction Services.
• Within Richland Correctional Institution, Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services has conducted a 40-hour peer support training for those incarcerated individuals identified with direct lived experience. Certified peer supporters are trained and certified in using their lived experience to help others impacted by mental illness or substance use disorders. These individuals continue to be identified and trained, and, with the supervision of staff from Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services, support outpatient and residential inpatient programming within the institution and serve as a transferrable skill for those trained upon release.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

Twitter: @LWhitmir

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland Correctional Institution union, inmates worry safety at risk from inmate drug use