COLUMBUS - A planned halfway house in Warren County might be scrapped amid controversy over where it will get state operating money.

        Lawmakers have proposed that $9 million originally slated for Ohio prisons should instead be used to fund halfway houses like the Regional Halfway House in Lebanon.

        That facility and other halfway houses across the state provide rehabilitation services to non-violent offenders and inmates who are making the transition from prison life.

        But prison officials and state employees' unions say diverting money from prisons would cause crowding and violence by forcing them to cut hundreds of security positions and close some prisons.

        The proposal is part of the legislature's planned $44.9 billion state budget, which has already been approved by the House.

        Funding for halfway houses would come primarily from the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's administrative budget, and would not cause prisons to close or affect staffing, said Rep. James Trakas, R-Independence.

        The proposal could save money because halfway houses can house inmates at one-third the cost of prisons, Mr. Trakas said.

        “When you are looking to save costs, this is certainly one way to do that,” he said.

        The 60-bed Regional Halfway House would serve 11 counties, including Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont. The facility would be less expensive than a prison because halfway house inmates usually have shorter stays, said Terri Nau, spokeswoman for Talbert House, the organization in charge of building the Regional Halfway House.

        Employees' unions have sharply criticized claims that halfway houses would save the state money.

        The cost to house inmates at halfway houses is about equal to that of prison housing costs, according to the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association union.

        “You're not going to save money by switching to halfway houses - that's wrong,” said Peter Wray, spokesman for the union.

        The union says by cutting prison operating budgets the proposal will put Ohio's prison system in a crisis situation that would cause riots and put the lives of guards at risk.

        “The state lost $60 million in lawsuits from the Lucasville riots. Is it going to be worth it?” Mr. Wray said.

        The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said the budget proposal would cause further layoffs in an already “lean” department, which would make prisons dangerously understaffed.

        “(This proposal) could potentially jeopardize public, staff and inmate safety, and make us more amenable to conditions of confinement lawsuits,” said Reginald Wilkinson, director of the department.

        Over the past decade, funding for halfway houses has grown at a much higher percentage than prison funding, Mr. Wilkinson said.

        “We must all tighten our belts,” he said.

        The Regional Halfway House has received over $2 million from the state to begin construction, but has halted work until it can find operating money.

        The facility would provide services such as job skill development and substance abuse counseling while allowing inmates to continue to work in their communities, Ms. Nau said.

        “You want the inmate to be as close to their community as possible,” Ms. Nau said.

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