Ohio Department of Corrections: What Families Need to Know (2026)
Ohio asks families to do a little paperwork before the first visit, and the guide lays it out plainly. Every adult and minor needs a completed visit application: adults attach a copy of a driver's license or state ID, and minors attach a birth certificate and any guardianship proof. You send it by mail, fax, or email to the facility itself, not to the central mail processing center. Once approved, you register with ViaPath to schedule in-person or video visits. Video visits run 30 minutes and must be booked at least 24 hours ahead.
For letters and cards, the guide gives one central address: personal mail goes to the ODRC Mail Processing Center, 884 Coitsville-Hubbard Road, Youngstown, Ohio 44505. Legal mail, business mail, and printed materials are not affected by that routing. The department, led by Interim Director Edward H. Banks III, covers 28 institutions, and visiting hours differ by facility. Allen-Oakwood visits Friday through Monday 7:45–10:30 a.m. and 12:00–2:45 p.m. Chillicothe visits daily 8–11 a.m. and noon–3 p.m. Franklin Medical Center visits Monday through Sunday, except state holidays, in four sessions from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A few facilities need a direct call instead of a posted schedule. Richland Correctional Institution posts no fixed hours, and the guide simply says to contact the institution. The Correctional Reception Center, Northeast Ohio Correctional Center, and Warren Correctional Institution list video hours but no in-person hours. The department's mailing address is P.O. Box 430, Columbus, OH 43216. Visiting hours are subject to change, so call the institution to confirm.
Full guide: https://8a1c6da4-9eeb-47b4-b576-ee932f459420.usrfiles.com/ugd/de0afa_5899d040d731472dbdc43897eb854b9e.pdf
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