COLUMBUS — The Ohio Justice & Policy Center called for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to pause a planned $350,000 pilot program authorizing the use of Tasers on people who are incarcerated in state prisons and called for a thorough review of the process before initiating a harmful pilot project in two Ohio prisons.

“Introducing Tasers into prisons creates enormous safety risks to both prison staff and to the people serving sentences. We are calling on the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to stop the use of Tasers now,” said Michaela Burriss, OJPC policy director. “This is dangerous, and we do not want to be alarmist, but if the state is not careful and considerate, someone is going to end up being killed or seriously injured.”

The OJPC reached out to the department in February, asking the state to provide emails, documented research, implementing guidelines, and training materials related to the use of Tasers. The department responded there were no responsive records despite the project being announced in February and set to begin in May. The lack of documentation about the imminent introduction and expansion of weapons into prisons is deeply concerning.

“At best, this project was greenlighted without the proper due diligence,” said Burriss. “It is unfathomable for a program this big and this complex to have no planning records or correspondence. It is being rushed, and Ohioans deserve transparency.”

Weapons in prisons have been demonstrated to increase risk and injury, most especially to the corrections officers breaking up fights and maintaining control. COs already successfully maintain control in most circumstances using non-lethal methods and strategies.

“This is a losing program that hurts Ohio, hurts corrections officers, and undermines the safe and successful rehabilitation of incarcerated folks in Ohio,” said Gabe Davis, OJPC CEO.

“Safety in prisons is a goal we all share, but Tasers will not accomplish that goal,” Davis said. “We believe this measure falls short of addressing real issues like overcrowding, proper training, and lack of support for families and spouses in the event that an incident occurs.”

The Ohio Justice and Policy Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit law firm with offices in Cincinnati and Columbus. It fights for equal justice and fair treatment in all stages of incarceration, because every person deserves dignity after their conviction and freedom after their sentence.

It offers a spectrum of free legal services, programs and resources for people in all communities who lack essential support as they navigate the complexities of our criminal legal system.

To learn more, visit ohiojpc.org.