According to the commission, the Ohio Revised Code gives county commissioners oversight of the physical structure of their county jail facility. Operational oversight, however, falls under the county sheriff’s office.
“The Sheriff and State Legislature are the only authorities that can allow for changes in operational oversight,” the county statement says.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on this.
In addition to the sheriff’s office, oversight of the jail falls under the Ohio Bureau of Adult Detention, Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Montgomery County Grand Jury.
The jail is also reviewed for accreditation based on national standards every three years by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. Both groups currently accredit the jail, according to a county press release.
The Montgomery County Jail Coalition, a volunteer-led group of community members who are concerned about people staying at the local jail, has asked for the community to have more of a say on how the region’s jail operates.
Earlier this month, the jail coalition submitted a petition to the Montgomery County commission and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office demanding civil oversight for the county’s jail. That petition had more than 2,000 signatures.
“Our ask was to come to the table with us. Take this seriously,” Montgomery County Jail Coalition co-chair Joel Pruce said during a virtual town hall this week.
A least 18 people have died in the custody of the jail since 2015, according to the jail coalition.
In 2023, seven people died in jail custody. This was followed by one inmate death reported in 2024 and the March 2025 death of 25-year-old Christian Black, which was ruled a homicide by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
Civilian oversight centers on transparency and accountability, as well as inclusion, coalition members have said. It’s a growing practice that’s intended to run independently of government organizations and interest groups.
The civilian oversight group, as pitched by the jail coalition, would review use-of-force incidents, audit health care services, advise on policies and procedures, and investigate complaints from detainees, families, and advocates, as proposed by the jail coalition. The group envisions that this committee would also be able to tour all parts of the jail without advance notice.
County commissioners in their Friday statement said they share the Montgomery County Jail Coalition’s “commitment to improving the conditions and care provided in our county jail.”
Montgomery County officials in 2023 announced a $20 million renovation project at the Montgomery County Jail that will create more than 100 medical beds for inmates. Construction for that effort will begin this fall.
The changes from this project, initially estimated at $20 million, will increase the medical unit’s capacity to 112 beds.
Since 2019, the commission has invested $6.6 million in jail improvements, including HVAC unit replacement, fire alarm system repairs, plumbing and flooring replacement and a new security system, according to county officials.
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