The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction is doubling the amount of medication it provides to mentally ill inmates as they leave prison in hopes of easing their transition and keeping them from committing new crimes.
The change means inmates will receive 30 days of medicine when they leave instead of 14. An unsuccessful federal lawsuit in 2010 criticized Ohio's post-release treatment of mentally ill inmates. The Department also is developing a program that could give the same inmates a prescription for up to two additional months if they pay for the drugs. Chief of Correctional Care Stuart Hudson says internal budget adjustments will cover the program's expected 220-thousand dollar annual cost.