Ohio Reformatory for Women

Ohio Reformatory for Women is a multi-security state prison for female inmates that is located in Marysville, Ohio. Operated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, this facility has a population of approximately 2,400 inmates. Built in 1916, this prison is one of the oldest in the state of Ohio and it features the state’s female death row.

The Ohio Reformatory for Women was the fifth prison in the US to open a nursery for imprisoned mothers and their babies inside the institution. The Achieving Baby Care Success (ABC) program was also the first in Ohio to allow incarcerated mothers keep their infants.

The nursery program at ORW is housed in a separate wing and contains double occupancy rooms for up to twenty mothers with their infants. The wing also includes a recreation area, a laundry room, and the unit's own childcare center.

Comedian/actress Mo'Nique filmed her 2006 Showtime Stand-up Comedy Special I Coulda Been Your Cellmate and the 2007 documentary Mo'Nique Behind Bars at Ohio Reformatory for Women.

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Ohio Reformatory for Women

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Visiting Hours and Rules

Visitors are limited to only visiting during one session, as specified at the time of reservation.  Half-day visits will be enforced to permit other visiting reservations to be honored. Each visitor is permitted one visit per month. 

Visiting is limited to a maximum of five visitors per inmate at one time, unless special arrangements have been made in advance. Click here for additional information.

Hours

  • Wednesday - Sunday   7:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. (Morning Session), 12:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. (Afternoon Session)
  • Visitors must be processed in no later than 9:30 a.m. for morning visiting sessions and 2:30 p.m. for afternoon visiting sessions.
  • Each session will count as one visit.
  • Visiting is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and all State Holidays.
  • Visiting hours are subject to change without notice. Please call the institution to verify visiting hours before planning a visit.

Visiting Applications and Reservations

Each potential visitor must complete a Visiting Application and have it approved before visiting an inmate. Visitation will not be allowed until your application has been processed and you have been approved and notified. 

  Reservations

  • Visiting reservations are required for all visiting sessions.
  • Reservations are accepted 60 days in advance. 
  • Approved visitors may make a reservation by email or phone. For phone reservations, please call 866-286-0033. The visiting reservation line is answered daily between the hours of 6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. - 4:30 a.m. For email reservations please email - [email protected] 
  • Please allow 48 hours for a return email confirmation. 
  • Visitors are not permitted to make reservations when arriving or leaving the visiting hall.
  • Each visitor is permitted one reservation per month. 
  • A confirmation number will be given at the time of reservation and must be provided to the visiting officer when arriving for a visit.
  • Visiting is limited to a maximum of five visitors per inmate at one time, unless special arrangements have been made in advance. 

Dress Code

You must wear appropriate clothing and undergarments to visit an inmate.

Inappropriate clothing includes, but is not limited to:

  • See-through clothing of any kind.
  • Tops or dresses that expose the midriff or have open backs or open sides (such as any sleeveless clothing such as halter tops, tube tops, cropped tops, tank tops, and muscle shirts).
  • Low-cut clothing cut in a manner that exposes the chest.
  • Any clothing that inappropriately exposes undergarments.
  • Skirts, dresses, shorts, skorts, or culottes with the hem or slit above the mid-knee.
  • Wrap-around skirts/dresses or break-away type pants.
  • Clothing with any gang related markings.
  • Clothing with obscene and/or offensive pictures, slogans, language and/or gestures.
  • Form-fitted clothing made from Spandex or Lycra or other similar knit material such as leotards, unitards, bicycle shorts, tight jeans, or tight pants.
  • Clothing with inappropriate holes/rips, including shoulder cut-outs.
  • No smartwatches or fitness monitors (such as fitbits).

Purses, handbags, and backpacks are not permitted. Diaper bags and infant carriers are allowed, but clear plastic bags are preferred. You may bring:

  • A reasonable number of diapers and baby wipes
  • Three plastic baby bottles
  • Three plastic containers of baby food
  • One pacifier

Physical Address

Ohio Reformatory for Women
1479 Collins Avenue
Marysville, OH 43040

Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/X3ihHPG3Tqq7wSH9A

General Phone Number

937-642-1065

Inmate Mailing Address(es)

Inmate Name, DOC Number
Ohio Reformatory for Women
1479 Collins Avenue
Marysville, OH 43040

You must include the offender’s name and DOC number on the envelope of all inmate mail. You can find your inmate’s DOC number by calling Central Inmate Records at 614-752-1076, or you can use the online tool.

JPay Email Option
JPay allows family and friends to email their incarcerated loved one. Please visit JPay for additional information.

The Inmate Food and Sundry Package Program
Family, friends, and inmates may order food and sundry packages from approved vendors  Keefe Group/Access Securepak, Union Supply Direct, and Walkenhorsts. Inmates have access to catalogs, flyers, and order forms for these programs.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at Ohio Reformatory for Women do have access to phones, but they can’t receive incoming calls. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Ohio, please click here.

How to Send Money

You can send money to your inmate at Ohio Reformatory for Women through JPay or the ConnectNetwork only if you are an approved (or tentatively approved) visitor. 

  • MAIL - You can make deposits by U.S. Mail through JPay. Each money order must be accompanied by the Money Order Deposit form, found on the JPay Website and a copy of your driver's license (or state ID or passport). This will be used to match your name to the visiting list. The name on the money order must exactly match:
    • the name on the driver's license, state ID, or passport; AND
    • the name and date of birth used to register as a visitor with DRC
    • Money orders may not exceed $200, unless approved in advance by the institution Warden.
    • You will not be able to send any letters to the inmate with the money order. Any letters sent to inmates with the money order will be discarded.
    • Please visit the JPay website for additional information.

  • ONLINE - Send money through the  ConnectNetwork website with deposits using credit or debit cards. OffenderConnect charges a transaction fee for using this service. 
  • TELEPHONE - Call 1-888-988-4PMT (4768), reference Site ID 86 when prompted by the automated attendant. Deposits can be made through the toll-free number using credit or debit cards. There is a transaction fee for using this service.

Programs For Inmates

Short Term Offender Unit

The Short Term Offender Unit is designed to service offenders that are newly received into the prison that are serving sentences of 90 days or less. The curriculum for the program was designed to enable the offenders by providing suitable programming that is accelerated to enhance their re-entry back into the community. 

Daily classes on Life Skills, Coping Strategies, Family Services, Health and Wellness, Recovery Issues, Job Readiness, Dressing for Success, Finance Management  and other topics  make up this  comprehensive curriculum for the Short Term Offender program and address the eight Reentry Domains of education, employment, marital and family associates and social interaction, substance abuse, community functioning, personal and emotional, and attitude. 

Therapeutic Community

The Therapeutic Community (TC) are long-term (6-12 months) residential Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) treatment programs. The TC approach views AOD abuse as a reflection of chronic deficits in social, vocational, familial, economic, and personality development. 

The aim of the Therapeutic Community is to promote prosocial behavior, attitudes, and values as a method to attain abstinence from alcohol and other drugs and eliminate antisocial behaviors. 

Mom and Kids Day

The Ohio Reformatory for Women strives to promote family bonding in preparation for family reunification, with this in mind special family oriented events are scheduled twice a year.  A Mom and Me Day Camp is scheduled during the summer months and a Mom and Kids Day Holiday event is scheduled in December. 

These events allow families to come into the institution to spend a day with their loved one with a variety of events, entertainment, food and fun.

Achieving Baby Care Success

The Achieving Baby Care Success (ABC'S) Program allows incarcerated pregnant inmates to maintain custody of their infants after they are born. Each participant has an individualized treatment plan so that the problems that resulted in her incarceration are thoroughly addressed.

Hands-on parenting instruction is available for every mother in the program. Eligible mothers for the program are screened and must be serving a short-term sentence for a non-violent crime. The criteria for the program ensures that the mothers and infants leave the institution together. As of 2020, there are eight babies in the nursery.

Community Services

  • Greyhound Dog Program
  • Art Guild Program
  • Wildlife Program
  • Pawsibility Dog Program
  • Circle Tail Dog Program
  • Community Stitching Post Program

Academic

  • Literacy Unit
  • Pre-GED
  • GED

Industries

  • Optical Shop
  • Sewing Shop
  • Embroidery Shop
  • Mop Head Shop

Career-Technical (Vocational) Programs

  • Building Table
  • Landscaping and Horticulture
  • General Office Systems
  • Cosmetology

Apprenticeship Programs

  • Boiler Operator
  • Steam Engineer

Advanced Jobs Training Program

  • Sinclair Community College

Pictures of Ohio Reformatory for Women

Careers at Ohio Reformatory for Women

If you are interested in a career with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections — and would like to apply for a job at the Ohio Reformatory for Women — you can find out more information about available jobs by clicking here.

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