Officials from the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to testify at a public hearing regarding the prison rape elimination act as was learned during Wednesday's board meeting.

Jim Dennis, CCNO Executive Director, said he and approximately eight other staff will be giving sworn testimony at the Sept. 10 hearing after CCNO was recognized as having the second lowest prevalence of sexual assaults in a national inmate survey.  Last year, CCNO participated in a national survey in which one-third of its offenders were questioned in regards to sexual assault.  CCNO was the second largest of 18 jails that had no reported incidents of sexual assaults.  Officials noted that more offenders from CCNO responded to the survey than any other facility in the country.

Mr. Dennis said CCNO gained unwanted publicity in 2000 when a corrections supervisor was convicted of having sex with female inmates.  In an effort to eliminate future sexual assaults and reduce liability, CCNO officials sought training through the National Corrections Academy to enhance policies and procedures, made modifications, eliminated high risk areas, and provided training to both staff and offenders.  In addition, offenders can call a hotline to report assaults while detailed information is provided in the offender handbook and offender orientation video.  Also an internal affairs special investigator looks into claims.

Mr. Dennis said he is excited about testifying before the special panel   He noted that unique steps have been taken at CCNO to reduce and hopefully prevent sexual assaults.  Staff and offenders both receive information on this.  Both know it is wrong and will be immediately addressed.

In other business, board members were informed that a CCNO Corrections Officer was assaulted by an inmate in a minimum security unit during second shift on Aug. 13.  Officer Glenn Patterson, was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated and released.  Mr. Dennis said it was a serious assault.  An uninvolved offender attempted to assist Patterson also. Joseph Hunter, 22, Toledo, is facing a second-degree felony charge of assault for assaulting officer Patterson.  Hunter was originally being held on eight separates charges of aggravated menacing, domestic violence, assault and receiving stolen property out of Toledo Municipal Court.

Mr. Dennis noted that while the attack was brief, it was still a very serious incident that will be looked into in depth and is being investigated by the Williams County Sheriffs Department.  He said corrections officers at CCNO put their lives on the line each and every day dealing with a variety of inmates.

He noted that a lack of medium security cells can result in inmates being placed in a minimum security dorm and that more medium and maximum cells are needed as officers are having to deal with more violate inmates. 

The eighth annual Ohio Tactical Competition will again be held at CCNO on Sept. 12.  Ten teams, each comprised of six members, will compete in firearms, sniper, quick shoot, room clearing and obstacle courses.  The overall winner will represent the Sate of Ohio in the national competition to be held in Florida.

In his operational report, Mr. Dennis said Wednesday’s population stood at 600 or 94 percent and an overcrowding emergency would be declared if the population reaches 606.  The average daily population for June was 589 or 92 percent with one overcrowding emergency declared.  In July, the population averaged 593 or 93 percent with three overcrowding emergencies declared.

Board members approved an upgrade in the payroll system at a cost of $10,688.80.  Also to save $150,000 in 2010, board members agreed to pay a $15,000 fee to participate in a low risk group rating in conjunction with workers compensation.