Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Annette Chambers-Smith, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction director, announced May 30, 2025, that the state will award $50 million in grants to support construction and renovation projects at 19 local jails across the state.

The funding will be awarded through the Ohio Jail Safety and Security Program, which was launched by DeWine in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly in 2021. The goal of the program is to help local communities fund improvements at functionally obsolete and structurally failing jails.

"This funding will not only support safer environments for those living and working in our local jails, but it also will help prepare inmates for release by creating improved spaces for workforce development, educational opportunities and other programming," said DeWine.

In total, seven counties are receiving funding for new jail construction, expansion or major renovation projects; 11 counties will use funding for structural upgrades, security enhancements and smaller renovation projects; and one county will receive a grant for a needs assessment/feasibility study.

"This funding will provide more safety and security in facilities and more space for programming, which will improve conditions for both staff and incarcerated people," said Chambers-Smith. "We are helping these jails provide what they need to better meet the demands of the criminal justice system in their county and prepare the incarcerated population for release back into their communities."

Funding for this round of the Ohio Jail Safety and Security Grant Program comes from the current capital budget. More than $228 million in state funding has been awarded to 50 jails serving more than 50 counties.

The program is administered through the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's Bureau of Adult Detention.