Allen Correctional Institution
Encyclopedia
The Allen Correctional Institution is a prison located in Lima, Ohio
, USA. It is part of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Its most well-known inmate is mass murderer James Ruppert, II, the Hamilton, Ohio resident who killed 11 family members at his mother's house on Easter Sunday in 1975.
The current warden of the prison is John Coleman.
on a 78 acres (31.6 ha) site 80 miles (128.7 km) northwest of Columbus
that shared land with the Lima Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison that closed in 2004.
In June 1995, the parole request of 61-year old James Ruppert, II was rejected and he was ordered to serve another 40 years minimum. Ohio had no death penalty at the time of Ruppert's arrest and therefore he cannot be put to death by the correctional system of Ohio.
Hope Taft, wife of Bob Taft
who was the Governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007, approached the administration at Pickaway Correctional Institution
in 2000 regarding the establishment of a reading room for children who visit the prison. The idea spread statewide and the room has been built in all 32 institutions that comprise the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction including the Allen Correctional Institution. Each room has an inmate narrator who reads to visiting children twice a day.
Prisoners can participate in programs that will allow them to earn their GED or even a degree from the University of Findlay
, located 30 miles (48.3 km) northeast of the prison. In addition, special classes are offered in power equipment technology, turf management, carpentry, masonry and plumbing.
and asked to drive to a remote location where the assailant cut her with a razor blade before she escaped. She picked Bigelow out of a police lineup, but he maintains he was in Columbus, Ohio all day.
My Child and I is a program that educates inmates on issues regarding family responsibility, relationship building and behavior cycles to promote positive fatherhood.
Angels for Animals is an organization that brings abandoned kittens to Allen Correctional Institution where selected inmates care for the animals 24 hours a day until a home can be found for them. As of 2007, 40 kittens had been brought to the prison.
The Sugar Creek Development Unit (SCDU) is a 60-bed residential facility on the prison grounds that provides psychiatric and psycho-social services for mentally ill inmates. For some, this program is only temporary during their incarceration while for others, the SCDU serves as their living quarters for the duration of their sentence.
The Residential Treatment Unit (RTU) is a special facility that also provides psychiatric assistance for inmates who have difficulty living in the general prison population and are admitted to this program not only from within the Allen Correctional Institution but from other correctional institutions in Ohio as well.
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, USA. It is part of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Its most well-known inmate is mass murderer James Ruppert, II, the Hamilton, Ohio resident who killed 11 family members at his mother's house on Easter Sunday in 1975.
The current warden of the prison is John Coleman.
History
Allen Correctional Institution was built in 1987 in Allen County, OhioAllen County, Ohio
Allen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. Its population was 106,331 as of the 2010 census. It is included in the Lima, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lima–Van Wert–Wapakoneta Combined Statistical Area....
on a 78 acres (31.6 ha) site 80 miles (128.7 km) northwest of Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
that shared land with the Lima Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison that closed in 2004.
In June 1995, the parole request of 61-year old James Ruppert, II was rejected and he was ordered to serve another 40 years minimum. Ohio had no death penalty at the time of Ruppert's arrest and therefore he cannot be put to death by the correctional system of Ohio.
Hope Taft, wife of Bob Taft
Bob Taft
Robert Alphonso "Bob" Taft II is an Ohio Republican Party politician. He was elected to two terms of office as the 67th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio between 1999-2007. After leaving office, Taft started working for the University of Dayton beginning August 15, 2007.-Personal background:Taft...
who was the Governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007, approached the administration at Pickaway Correctional Institution
Pickaway Correctional Institution
The Pickaway Correctional Institution is a state prison located in Orient, Ohio, USA which mostly houses minimum and medium security inmates. PCI was opened as a prison in 1984 after the buildings which formerly housed a facility for MRDD had been closed...
in 2000 regarding the establishment of a reading room for children who visit the prison. The idea spread statewide and the room has been built in all 32 institutions that comprise the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction including the Allen Correctional Institution. Each room has an inmate narrator who reads to visiting children twice a day.
The prison
The population of the facility is typically around 1300 male inmates, most of whom are housed under minimum or medium security. A few prisoners are held under close or maximum security. The facility employs roughly 375 staff members of, half of whom are classified as security. The cost of maintaining each inmate at the facility is approximately $62 per day.Prisoners can participate in programs that will allow them to earn their GED or even a degree from the University of Findlay
University of Findlay
The University of Findlay is a private university located in the city of Findlay in Hancock County, Ohio, United States. It was affiliated with the Churches of God, General Conference, and was founded in 1882 by the city of Findlay and the Churches of God, General Conference. Findlay offers more...
, located 30 miles (48.3 km) northeast of the prison. In addition, special classes are offered in power equipment technology, turf management, carpentry, masonry and plumbing.
Court case
In 2004, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case of Michael Bigelow v. Jesse Williams, Warden, in which inmate Bigelow maintained he was innocent of the charges of kidnapping and arson. On June 17, 1993, real estate agent Charlotte Schrier was kidnapped in Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
and asked to drive to a remote location where the assailant cut her with a razor blade before she escaped. She picked Bigelow out of a police lineup, but he maintains he was in Columbus, Ohio all day.
Special programs
Bonds Beyond Bars is a program that allows fathers housed at Allen Correctional Institution to participate in girl scout activities with their daughters in the visiting room on a biweekly basis.My Child and I is a program that educates inmates on issues regarding family responsibility, relationship building and behavior cycles to promote positive fatherhood.
Angels for Animals is an organization that brings abandoned kittens to Allen Correctional Institution where selected inmates care for the animals 24 hours a day until a home can be found for them. As of 2007, 40 kittens had been brought to the prison.
The Sugar Creek Development Unit (SCDU) is a 60-bed residential facility on the prison grounds that provides psychiatric and psycho-social services for mentally ill inmates. For some, this program is only temporary during their incarceration while for others, the SCDU serves as their living quarters for the duration of their sentence.
The Residential Treatment Unit (RTU) is a special facility that also provides psychiatric assistance for inmates who have difficulty living in the general prison population and are admitted to this program not only from within the Allen Correctional Institution but from other correctional institutions in Ohio as well.