Overcrowded jail bars Lucas County offenders

11/7/2003

STRYKER, Ohio — For the second time in less than a month, officials at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio have declared an overcrowding emergency at the regional jail facility.

Jail doors were closed yesterday to Lucas County until the jail population is reduced. Judges from Toledo were asked to release offenders to help alleviate the crowding. Lucas County, with 197 offenders at the regional jail, was using 107 percent of the county's bed allocation.

Yesterday's jail count stood at 614, or 96 percent. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the capacity on both days also was over 95 percent, which prompted the overcrowding emergency.

This is the third time this year that such an emergency has been declared at CCNO. The most recent overcrowding problem was on Oct. 20.