Ohio corrections director urges budget increases for staff, safety gear and statewide Taser rollout

Annette Chambers Smith, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, told the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee that the department’s executive budget requests additional funding to increase prison safety and staff support ahead of projected population growth.

Smith said the department’s "mission is to reduce recidivism among those we touch," and that safety and rehabilitation must be balanced in the budget request. She described last year’s homicide of a correctional officer at Ross Correctional Institution and said the department is pursuing equipment and staffing changes to reduce harm and improve officer retention.

The budget request would expand safety equipment that the department has piloted in two facilities, including conducted energy devices. "Tasers are an effective de escalation tool and often stop the need to use force…