VOTE … Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken puts forward a motion to terminate the contract within 30 days, a proposal that ultimately failed by an 8-2 vote.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
IMMIGRATION … Rev. TK Barger of the First Unitarian Church of Toledo spoke to the CCNO board and asked them to “follow the golden rule”.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO) became the focus of heated debate during its June 25th board meeting, as protestors lined the sidewalk outside and several individuals spoke during public comment, voicing opposition to the facility’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The criticism centered around CCNO’s decision to house undocumented immigrants detained by ICE, a decision that has drawn increasing political attention in recent months.
Inside the Defiance County Emergency Management Building, Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken introduced a motion to terminate the contract within 30 days, a proposal that ultimately failed by an 8-2 vote.
At first glance, this controversy might seem rooted in recent national developments, especially with the ongoing election cycle and renewed focus on immigration enforcement.
However, a closer examination of public records and interviews reveals a longer, more deliberate process, one that began under a different administration altogether.
According to CCNO Executive Director Dennis Sullivan, the board first began discussing a partnership with ICE back in August of 2023.
That timeline is confirmed by CCNO’s own meeting minutes, with meeting minutes from the September 2023 meeting reading as follows.
“Director Sullivan shared information regarding the ICE tour from the day prior. He explained that they were very thorough and impressed with the facility. ICE officials stated that it would be approximately four-to-six months before CCNO should expect any decision.”
This shows that the decision-making process began while then President Joe Biden was still in office and was not connected to any campaign or policy initiatives from the current administration led by current President Donald Trump.
A press release published by CCNO on February 27th, 2025, further supports this timeline. The release stated that the board had voted 8-2 in favor of moving forward with the contract, and that discussions with ICE had already been ongoing for 18 months.
“This is normal for us,” said Sullivan in the release. “We’ve partnered with other agencies or facilities since the 1990s to fill beds.”
That same document also clarified that ICE detainees would not be released into the local community but instead transferred directly into federal custody and placed on flights out of the country.
In a July 1st interview conducted at CCNO between Executive Director Sullivan and The Village Reporter, more context was provided about the financial framework and operational considerations behind the decision.
ICE detainees are housed at a daily rate of $117 per person, the same rate charged for inmates from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons.
By comparison, the cost to house a local inmate is $73.33 per day, a figure that has remained almost unchanged since 2018.
Sullivan emphasized that these contracts help offset operational costs and reduce the financial burden on the member counties.
CCNO has historically entered into similar agreements with agencies such as the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Hancock and Paulding counties, and even the private Northeast Ohio Correctional Center.
Despite the fiscal advantages, critics have pointed to concerns about transparency and due process. During the June 25th board meeting, Gerken expressed discomfort with what he described as a lack of clarity surrounding the specific charges against ICE detainees.
In a post-meeting interview, he questioned whether the detainees being housed had committed violent crimes or whether their only offense was their immigration status.
However, this is where operational procedure at CCNO becomes key, and where several items can be cleared up.
During the July 1st meeting, Sullivan explained that CCNO’s inmate classification process is not based solely on the type of crime an individual is accused of committing.
Instead, it includes a broad evaluation of risk factors, including behavior while in custody, institutional needs, mental health, and security risks.
This would basically mean you could have someone convicted of a more serious offense housed in minimum security, and someone with a lesser offense placed in maximum security. In other words, the housing classification is not a direct indicator of the severity of someone’s crime.
That process is conducted the same way for all inmates, ICE or otherwise, upon intake, by a dedicated classification team.
Importantly, it was also explained to The Village Reporter that CCNO staff are not legally permitted to share individual criminal histories, even with board members, because that information is protected by law.
It is also important to note that CCNO has full discretion when accepting ICE detainees. Sullivan stated that CCNO has already made it clear to ICE that individuals who are affiliated with gangs or pose a safety risk will not be housed at the facility. That discretion allows CCNO to reject any detainee they are not comfortable admitting.
Concerns over the quality of care for detainees have also been raised in public discourse, but multiple independent reviews paint a different picture.
CCNO is one of the few jails in Ohio accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA), receiving 100% compliance scores in both state and ACA inspections.
According to Mr. Sullivan, the facility undergoes numerous audits each year and is frequently described by inspectors as one of the cleanest and safest jails in the state.
Built in 1990, the jail has maintained a nearly new condition despite operating for over 35 years, which Sullivan credits to long-tenured staff and a culture of high standards.
Furthermore, it was explained that anyone who may be concerned about language barriers and legal access should note the following. CCNO has implemented a number of tools and policies to ensure detainees are properly supported.
Translator devices capable of handling over 130 languages are assigned throughout the facility, and supervising staff also carry Guardian RFID devices with built-in translation capabilities.
Each detainee is issued a tablet upon intake that offers translation services, electronic handbooks, and communication functions.
In addition, ICE detainees are provided a list of pro bono legal services, given access to attorneys and interpreters, are able to receive a bond, and guaranteed the ability to participate in immigration hearings.
If a detainee is granted a bond, upon payment they are transported to Toledo from CCNO to board a bus. These bus tickets are provided by the government.
A voluntary departure program is also offered, which provides a $1,000 stipend per family member and covers flight costs for detainees choosing to return to their country of origin.
While emotions surrounding immigration policy remain high across the country, Sullivan emphasized that CCNO’s role is not to make or debate laws, it is to uphold them.
“My job is to not get into politics,” he said. “It’s to run the facility and work with the board.”
Those currently held at CCNO under the ICE agreement are individuals arrested for violating federal immigration law. Available information does not indicate that they are being held indefinitely or without legal recourse.
Based on the policies in place and documentation reviewed, detainees appear to be proceeding through the established legal process with access to representation and support.
The facility itself has received high marks in state and ACA inspections, and external audits have consistently noted clean and professional operations.
Although the motion to terminate the contract on June 25th did not pass, the subject remains a point of continued debate.
Records from CCNO and its board indicate that the agreement was developed over an extended period of time, under review and with board oversight, well before current national political dynamics.
For those who disagree with the existence of immigration enforcement itself, that debate may belong in the halls of Congress.
But for a jail like CCNO, whose job it is to carry out existing law, the focus remains on running a clean, safe, and effective facility for all who pass through its doors.