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Ohio sheriff says jail is overcrowded due to opioid epidemic

Posted at 9:31 AM, Oct 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-03 09:31:59-04

A sheriff in northern Ohio says the county jail's booking and medical areas are often overcrowded and that more space is needed.

The sheriff in Wood County says the area is being filled with inmates who are detoxing from opiates, suffering from mental health issues or on suicide watch.

Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn says the booking area is being used as a medical unit and that the jail's holding cells often can't be used to house disruptive inmates.

Wood County commissioners are considering long-term planning.

The sheriff hopes to expand that section of the jail in Bowling Green.