Clermont County Declares Emergency After Jail Heating Failure; Inmates Transferred to Neighboring Counties

The Board of County Commissioners of Clermont County added and approved an emergency resolution on Feb. 4 after county staff reported a mechanical failure at the county jail that required immediate repairs and inmate relocations.

County staff presented Resolution No. 026-26, asking the board to declare a physical disaster at the Clermont County Jail and authorize the board president to sign the resolution and the county administrator to execute repair contracts. The resolution cites authority under RC 307.8612 to proceed with emergency contracting for full restoration and subsequent ratification by the board.

Sheriff Sherry Stratton described the weekend failure, saying a frozen damper caused 19 coils to burst and release fluid into one section of the jail that holds 192 inmates and caused heating loss in the female pod and maximum-security units. Stratton said the office coordinated mutual aid: Warren County accepted 96 inmates, Butler County and other nearby sheriffs provided buses and beds, and some maximum-security inmates were transferred on a bus arranged by a neighboring sheriff.

“Maintenance was in there first thing,” Stratton said, describing the attic as a significant damage site and explaining that transporting inmates required coordination of medications and corrections staff. She credited neighboring sheriffs for covering the county and said corrections staff accompanied many transferred inmates. Stratton also said the sheriff’s office had involved the prosecutor’s office in reviewing any contracts related to enforcement partnerships discussed during public comment.

After the presentation and the sheriff’s briefing, commissioners moved and adopted the emergency declaration by roll call. The resolution authorizes the county administrator to execute contracts necessary for repairs and to present those contracts to the board for acknowledgement and ratification once executed.

The board later entered executive session under Ohio Revised Code sections 121.22(G)(1) and (G)(6) to discuss personnel matters and security arrangements; they returned saying no decisions or actions were taken during the executive session.

The sheriff invited community members to meet with staff for further explanation of the jail incident and the office’s coordination with other counties.