Legislative Committee Approves New Jail Standards

Ohio now has a new set of regulations for jails around the state. A state committee of lawmakers approved the proposals Monday. It is the first time Ohio's jail standards have been updated since 2003. The new standards will allow jails to serve inmates two meals instead of three on weekends and limit showers to every other day. Other changes will allow jail staff to review prisoners' emails for security reasons and monitor and record inmate visits. Several mental health agencies are backing revisions that they say would improve treatment for mentally ill inmates. Those new regulations include adding mental health screenings and addressing suicide prevention. Backers say the changes also will do more to protect counties that operate jails from inmate lawsuits.