STAR gets funding to house more women

Published 9:40 am Wednesday, January 28, 2009

FRANKLIN FURNACE — The STAR Community Justice Center has gotten funding to house an additional 10 women at its facility in Franklin Furnace. The money comes from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.

STAR Executive Director Eddie Philabaun said with the additional monies, STAR will have the funding to house 40 women and 60 men. The facility was built with a capacity of 120 inmates.

“It’s pretty amazing in the tough economic times that we are in. I don’t think anyone thought we would get this funding,” Philabaun said. “We’re ecstatic.”

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The funding for the additional beds for women was part of a proposal STAR officials sent to the state. They also requested funding for 15 additional beds for men. That request was not granted.

Why the need for more beds for women? The answer is simple.

“There are more female offenders,” Philabaun said. “Drug charges, burglary, theft. But it all cycles around drugs.”

Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Presiding Judge Charles Cooper said he is pleased with the news of STAR’s additional funding.

“I have been very pleased with STAR because of its success rate. It has one of the best success records in the state of Ohio,” Cooper said.

Other community based correctional facilities (CBCF) that house women are in Cincinnati and Columbus. The addition of beds for women at STAR means more area women sentenced to CBCFs may be able to remain close to home.