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Ohio has an incarceration rate of 621 per 100,000 people (including prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities), meaning that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on earth. Read on to learn more about who is incarcerated in Ohio and why.

71,000 people from Ohio are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in Ohio is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 150,000 different people are booked into local jails in Ohio.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these Ohio graphs:

• total numbers rather than rates.
• Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
• Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population

Today, Ohio’s incarceration rates stand out internationally

In the U.S., incarceration extends beyond prisons and local jails to include other systems of confinement. The U.S. and state incarceration rates in this graph include people held by these other parts of the justice system, so they may be slightly higher than the commonly reported incarceration rates that only include prisons and jails. Details on the data are available in States of Incarceration: The Global Context. We also have a version of this graph focusing on the incarceration of women.

People of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails

Ohio's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails

See detailed data on incarceration and supervision numbers and rates by state.

Reports and briefings about Ohio's criminal legal system:

Filter to show Most recent All Big picture Collateral consequences Communication Exploitation Health Jails & bail Parole and probation Policing Poverty Prison gerrymandering Racial justice Women, gender, & families

• Ohio's prison system fails to provide necessary accommodations for pregnancy behind bars, despite having a women's incarceration rate that stands out globally.
• Ohio makes medications for opioid use disorder available in its prisons. Why is getting treatment for substance use disorders so difficult across the US carceral system?
• Despite reducing its prison population at the beginning of the pandemic, Ohio's prison population has rebounded since 2021.
• Ohio has been court-ordered to fix its prison healthcare system twice. Why is healthcare behind bars so bad, and what can be done to fix it?
• People on probation in Ohio are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• Prisons in Ohio have tablets, but they may be being used to restrict incarcerated people’s access to books and sap them of the little money they have.
• With an incarceration rate of 621 per 100,000 residents, Ohio locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on earth.
• Prisons in Ohio force incarcerated people and their families — some of the most vulnerable members of society — to subsidize mass incarceration.
• 65% of people in Ohio jails have not been convicted of a crime, meaning they're legally innocent. There are simple steps the state can take to reduce this number. Why isn't it?
• Ohio releases roughly 314,222 men and 102,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• Black people in Ohio are incarcerated at a rate 5.5 times higher than white people.
• “Housing First” programs, like Returning Home-Ohio, have been shown to reduce the likelihood of future criminal justice system involvement for participants. More places should adopt this type of housing program.
• Ohio's choice to criminalize "failure to appear" may be hurting public safety
• The cost of incarcerating older people is incredibly high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 13% of people in Ohio prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• Ohio makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• In Ohio, 71,000 people are incarcerated and another 213,000 are on probation or parole.
• Ohio charges up to 30¢ for an e-message to or from prison; above the national average.
• Jails in Ohio charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge 30¢ for a 15-minute call.
• Ohio prisons are replacing incarcerated people's personal mail with scans, stifling family contact
• Ohio suspended its $2 medical copays in prisons at the beginning of the pandemic for flu related medical visits — it should eliminate them entirely.
• People in Ohio prisons must pay for hygiene items and other basics like legal mail supplies if they have more than $12 in their spending account.
• Ohio prisons charge families up to a 18% fee to transfer money to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave Ohio a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• Ohio hinders jury diversity by excluding people with felony records until they complete probation and parole sentences
• How many COVID-19 cases in Ohio communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states - Ohio gets an F-
• New data: Low incomes — but high fees — for people on probation in Ohio
• Ohio incarcerates women at a rate of 144 per 100,000 residents — higher than any democratic country on earth.
• People in Ohio prisons earn as little as 10¢ an hour for their work.
• Youngstown to avoid prison gerrymandering, mostly
• Ohioans want an end to prison gerrymandering
• Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Ohio, by Peter Wagner and Rose Heyer, July 7, 2004

Other resources

• Research on Ohio in our Research Library
• Ending prison gerrymandering in Ohio resource and campaign page