Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A report says budget cuts have contributed to a drop in the number of community service hours performed by Ohio prison inmates.
The report says most of the decrease came from a dramatic reduction in the number of outside work crews as corrections officer positions were cut in favor of security inside prisons.
The analysis by the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee released Friday says total service hours decreased 23 percent from 2009 to 2013.
The report says the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville reported the highest number of community service hours, with the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville reporting the fewest.
Prison community service includes highway cleanup, training foster dogs and weaving plastic sleeping mats for the homeless.