Ohio Jails & Prisons

Finding someone

Ohio DRC offender search

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction publishes a public offender search covering people in ODRC custody. Search by name or by ODRC number. County jail populations are not included — those are held by the individual county sheriff.

Open the official agency page →

Phone calls

Phone calls from Ohio prisons (ViaPath / ConnectNetwork)

Phone service at all Ohio DRC facilities is run by ViaPath Technologies (formerly GTL). Ohio switched vendors in mid-2023 — if a guide tells you to use Securus or JPay for calls, it is out of date. Calls can only be placed from inside; you cannot call in. To receive calls, answer the automated approval call and say yes, or set up a prepaid account at ConnectNetwork.com (choose Ohio DRC as the agency). Domestic calls cost 2 cents per minute plus mandated taxes and fees, with no connection charge, and prepaid collect calls carry a 20% discount — a rate ODRC has published as effective July 1, 2021. Messaging and video visits run through the same vendor at GettingOut.com. Customer support: 1-877-650-4249 (Mon–Fri 8am–midnight, weekends 9am–8pm ET).

Provider: ViaPath Technologies (GTL)

Open the official ViaPath Technologies (GTL) page →

Sending money

Sending money to an Ohio prison (ConnectNetwork)

Only approved (or tentatively approved) visitors can send money to someone in an Ohio DRC facility — funds from anyone not on the visiting list are rejected. Four ways to send, all through ConnectNetwork (ViaPath): online at ConnectNetwork.com by card ($3.50 plus 3.5% up to $5.50 plus 3.5% depending on amount, $200 per transaction max); by phone at 1-888-988-4768 (same fees; site ID 86); at 26,000+ retail kiosks in stores like Walmart and Kroger ($3.00 per deposit, $50–$100 max); or by money order using the ConnectNetwork mail-in form ($200 max without warden approval, and the sender's name must exactly match the visiting list). The overall cap is $400 per person per calendar month. Never put a letter in with a money order — it will be discarded. Note: JPay no longer serves Ohio DRC; the state moved to ViaPath in 2023.

Provider: ViaPath / ConnectNetwork

Open the official ViaPath / ConnectNetwork page →

Mail and photos

Mail and photos for Ohio prisons (central scanning)

The single most important rule: general mail does NOT go to the prison. All letters, cards, and photos for anyone in an Ohio DRC facility go to the central scanning site — ODRC Mail Processing Center, 884 Coitsville-Hubbard Road, Youngstown, OH 44505 — with the person's full name and number on the envelope and your full name and address as sender. Everything up to 8.5×11 is scanned and delivered as a copy within about 48 hours (weekends excluded); originals, including photos, are destroyed after a 30-day hold unless the person pays to have them forwarded. Up to 10 photos per letter, no nudity. Never enclose cash, checks, or money orders. Electronic messages run through GettingOut.com (ViaPath) — a subscription service, not direct email, and not for attorney communications; legal mail follows separate rules on the ODRC legal-mail page. Policies: OAC 5120-9-17; ODRC 75-MAL-02.

Provider: ViaPath (GettingOut) for electronic messages

Open the official ViaPath (GettingOut) for electronic messages page →

Planning a visit

Visiting an Ohio prison: application first, then facility rules

You must be approved before you can visit anyone in an Ohio DRC facility. Start with the visitor application packet (form DRC-2096, current 2025 edition, with the DRC2274 instructions and DRC2554 declaration inside), downloadable from the ODRC visitation pages. Once approved, scheduling is set by each facility — every warden controls visit frequency, duration, and booking method, so check the specific facility's page for hours and limits; ODRC announces local changes 30 days ahead. Dress code is enforced: no see-through or torn clothing, no halter, tube, crop, or tank tops, no skirts or shorts above mid-knee, nothing skin-tight, and nothing with gang-related or offensive markings. Leave purses, backpacks, and all electronics in the car; you may bring prescription medication needed during the visit, medical equipment (oxygen, wheelchair, crutches, inhaler), and an infant carrier with a small clear bag of supplies. Policy: 76-VIS-01.

Open the official agency page →