Corrections
Lieutenant Kathy Rose
(440) 279-2009 Extension 4411
Newbury and Burton Residents: 1-888-714-0006 Extension 4411
Corrections
Geauga County Safety Center
The Geauga County Safety Center opened its doors to inmates on December 28th, 2005 when 47 inmates were moved from the old linear facility at 13281 Ravenna Road to the new facility at 12450 Merritt Road.
The new facility has a rated capacity of 182 beds:
- 38 beds for females
- 84 beds for general population males
- 60 beds for males participating in the Community Service/Work release program
In addition to the 182 beds, there are nine cells. We are now equipped with cells that have CCTV cameras in order to assist in monitoring inmates that are on a suicide watch, have mental health issues, or have disciplinary issues and require segregation.
The Corrections staff worked diligently in order to go through the State Certification process through the Ohio Bureau of Adult Detention for the State of Ohio. In December, the final inspection occurred and the jail has been approved for status as a Certified Jail in the State of Ohio. The jail is 100% in compliance with all the standards set by the Bureau of Adult Detention for the State of Ohio. The certification is in effect for five years and will be renewed during the fifth year.
The total number of prisoners received and processed at the Geauga County Safety Center during the year 2015 was 2,932. This includes new arrests, arraignments, and commitments to jail upon conviction. This number also includes inmates that were booked in for multiple weekends.
Total Housing for outside agencies in 2015 was $1,270,000.00.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed in 2003 with unanimous support from both parties in Congress. The purpose of the act was to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in Federal, State, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape.” This law applies to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders. For more information please go to the PREA website at www.prearesourcecenter.org.
The Geauga County Sheriff’s Office has a zero-tolerance standard for incidence of sexual abuse and sexual harassment and also makes prevention of inmate sexual abuse a top priority. The Geauga County Sheriff’s Office also extends this zero tolerance policy to include any personnel, volunteers, interns, or contract personnel, who may have contact with inmates and will thoroughly investigate and hold accountable person(s) who violate these policies and Ohio State laws.
Reporting
Inmates experiencing incidents of sexual abuse or sexual harassment are provided multiple means of making a report. To allow for the quickest response, inmates are encouraged to verbally report to any staff member immediately. Inmates may report in writing by submitting an Inmate Request Form (kite), or by mailing a letter to the Sheriff at 12450 Merritt Rd. Chardon, Ohio 44024. Reports may also be made by telephone (toll-free) to our outside hotline at (440) 286-8074.
Non-inmates (third-parties) may report incidents of sexual abuse or sexual harassment of an inmate confined in the Corrections by calling (440) 279-2009 extension 4411 and asking for the supervisor on duty or by calling the outside hotline at (440) 286-8074.
2023 PREA Statistics for the Geauga County Jail
| Sustained | Non-Sustained | Unfounded | Exonerated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inmate on Inmate | ||||
| Non-Consensual Sex Acts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abusive Sexual Contact | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sexual Harassment | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Staff on Inmate | ||||
| Staff Sexual Misconduct | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Staff Sexual Harassment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Commissary
The Jail operates an inmate commissary from which the inmate may purchase items such as snacks, writing materials, personal hygiene items, T-shirts, underwear and socks. Money can be deposited into an inmate’s account via the kiosk in the lobby or by the website www.JailATM.com. A money order can also be mailed in to the inmate; it will be deposited onto his/her account. No checks will be accepted.
Telephone
Inmates will have access to the inmate phone system in the housing units from approximately 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily. These phones are equipped to make outgoing phone calls only. Inmates have the option to make calls in several ways:
- a collect call to a specific person
- using phone time purchased through commissary
- an account set up by family/friends via www.inmatesales.com
- money added through the CPC phone kiosk in our lobby
No incoming calls to the inmate are permitted. If it is an emergency, the call will be handled by the shift supervisor.
Mail
Inmate Mail – Important Update
In an effort to keep contraband out of the Geauga County Safety Center, the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office is implementing a new system for sending mail and photos to inmates.
We will now be scanning all mail and it will go electronically to the inmate who will be able to access it on the housing unit Kiosk system.
** WARNING **
Mail is received at the jail Monday – Saturday excluding holidays.
All incoming mail must be addressed as follows to insure prompt delivery:
Inmate’s Full Name
C/O Geauga County Jail
12450 Merritt Road
Chardon, Ohio 44024-0224
*Letters must also include a complete and legible return address in order to be accepted. Letters that do not have a complete and legible return address will be logged as received and then placed into the inmate’s personal property without getting scanned to the inmate.
All incoming mail must be 8½ x 11 inches (letter size) and no thicker than standard paper. NO CARDS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
The maximum number of pages is five, do NOT send more than five.
The following will NOT be accepted:
- Mail with any glitter, glue, lipstick, perfume, stickers, labels, tape or any unknown item. Letters with these items will be destroyed without being scanned to the inmate
- COD and postage due mail
- Packages
- Reading material, envelopes and stamps. The jail provides reading materials to the inmates (books, magazines, newspapers)
- Forwarded mail will NOT be accepted into the jail, changing of an inmate’s address to the Sheriff’s Office for all the inmate’s personal/business mail is not permitted.
- Incoming inmate mail, correspondence shall be opened and inspected to intercept cash, money orders, and contraband.
- Illegal contraband will be removed from the jail and entered into evidence. Charges will be filed where appropriate
- Do NOT send money in the form of cash or check. Go to www.jailatm.com to put money on an inmate’s commissary account or www.inmatesales.com to put money on an inmate’s phone account.
- You are permitted to mail in a money order for an inmate. You can also come to the lobby of the Safety Center and use the kiosk to deposit money using cash or a credit card.
One photograph per letter will be accepted. The photo cannot be provocative * in any way. Some of examples but not limited to: no threats, no code or gang insignia, no threatening gestures, obscene language, acts or drawings, nudity or provocative clothing.
*provocative is generally defined as follows: “causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately and also “arousing sexual desire or interest, especially deliberately”.
Inmates cannot receive material which is violent, criminal, and sexually explicit, depicts nudity or depicts racial, religious, or national hatred, or materials that are disruptive to the facility and pose a potential threat to safety, security, discipline, treatment interests or violate state law.
The letter and the photograph will then be SCANNED into the kiosk system where the inmate can then access it. The original letter will be placed into the inmate’s personal property. If the inmate has a large amount of mail in their property, the inmate will be instructed to have someone come pick it up or the inmate can choose to have it destroyed.
Any mail received after the inmate has left or mail we cannot accept will be returned to the Post Office to be sent back to the sender. Complaints regarding returned mail may be directed to the Jail Administrator.
The final say as to what will and will not be accepted lies with the Jail Administrator in conjunction with the jail’s legal counsel.
Medical Services
- Doctor
- Registered Nurse
- Medical Room
The Geauga County Safety Center offers appropriate medical and mental health services to all inmates housed at the jail including routine health care maintenance as well as emergency care. Sick call is conducted five days a week for inmates by the jail medical staff which consists of a physician and registered nurses. Inmates are seen for a variety of reasons in the well-equipped medical office including emergency care, laboratory specimen collection and routine history and physicals. Medications are prescribed by the doctor and are made available to the inmates for self-administration under the supervision of trained officers.
All Corrections Officers are certified in CPR and in the use of an AED through the American Heart Association certified instructors. Corrections Officers are also trained in a variety of other medical care situations including seizures, blood-borne pathogens, and suicide prevention. In the event of a serious emergency or an ongoing critical care situation, the inmate is transferred via the local rescue squad to University’s Geauga Regional Hospital a short distance away.
Crisis intervention is available to inmates for mental health emergencies by Ravenwood Mental Health Center. Court-ordered assessments are completed by a part-time counselor to facilitate efficient mental health care for those who are in need. Bi-weekly a Ravenwood psychiatrist evaluates inmates that are referred by the counselors for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
Dental Services are also made available to inmates through On Site Dental, Inc. for those who are in need of dental care. Medications are then provided after dental care in accordance with the dentist’s orders.
The medical staff, in conjunction with the correctional staff, provides necessary care to inmates in a timely manner with the use of effective collaboration and communication skills. Two key elements of medical services at the Geauga County Safety Center are prevention and self-care. The Medical Staff strives to take care of medical issues early on to prevent unnecessary outcomes while providing continuity of care both upon admission and release from the facility. The medical staff also focuses on educating and empowering inmates to take better care of themselves to promote a better quality of life.
Kitchen (Supervisor and Cooks)
Jail Kitchen
Photos
