Ohio Prison Shuts Down Inmate Cattle Raising Program

As of Tuesday, the Mansfield Correctional Institution (MANCI) will no longer use inmates to raise the Angus cow herd around the Ohio-based prison. With 300 cows, the herd was one of the five largest in Ohio. To remove the cows from prison grounds, earlier this week the animals were auctioned to ranchers across several states. This action comes after an April announcement by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections stating that MANCI—which is one of 10 state correctional facilities where inmates are trained in the agricultural sector—will be making the shift toward more effective job training for inmates. MANCI prison officials stated that while approximately 220 inmates worked on the farms, few took jobs at farms once released. MANCI has used inmates to raise cows for the beef industry since the 1920s.