2025 annual inspections from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections show that the Mahoning County Justice Center is in compliance with all 178 state standards — but among the Mahoning Valley's county jails, it stands alone.

The Trumbull County Adult Justice Center and the Columbiana County Jail failed to comply with four and five state standards, respectively. Both struggled with capacity issues and adequate lighting, while the CCJ also failed to get all of its correctional officers the proper training. 

The CCJ is Ohio’s only privately-owned jail, operated by Correctional Solutions Group. In 2024, it failed to meet 32 state standards, as 21 News uncovered in a Watchdog Report. Thomas Mackie, the jail’s warden, said in an interview Tuesday that he isn’t satisfied with that progress. 

“I’m not happy with one violation,” Mackie said. “That’s my goal, is to be one hundred percent compliant.” 

The facility has a recommended capacity of 110, and an actual capacity of 132. The population fluctuates, and stood at 134 inmates on Tuesday. On the date of the inspection, the inmate population was 144 — a dozen more than the maximum. This meant inmates were left with not enough housing space or showers by state standards. Similar issues with the TCAJC — with a capacity of 309 — left inmates without enough housing space or seating. 

Mackie and Trumbull County Sheriff Mike Wilson, whose office runs the TCAJC, each told 21 News their problems with population were out of their hands. The jails don’t control how many inmates they are required to house, meaning that the only way to alleviate long-term struggles with capacity is to add space.

“That takes funding,” Mackie pointed out. “That takes, I mean, the community to say, ‘This is what we want.’” 

Another problem for the CCJ was staff training. In December 2024, Mackie told 21 News training would be “at the forefront of everything we do moving forward.” Now, he says, it’s more complicated, and six of his 32 correctional officers are missing the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy training they needed to complete by their one-year mark. 

Mackie explained that while he believes the training is important, it can be difficult to send his officers to Stark County for the classes while he has a jail to run. He also argued that on-the-job training from seasoned staff has equipped his COs to run the jail properly. 

“I don't have the ability to shut down the jail and send my staff … But are they trained? Yeah, they're trained,” Mackie said. “Do they have that piece of paper? No. Am I going to get them that piece of paper? Absolutely, as time and space is available for me to get them there.”

When it comes to inadequate lighting, both Mackie and Wilson said they are working on solutions, though Wilson also said it isn’t his office’s responsibility. 

“Trumbull County maintenance should be putting those in, and from what I understand, they started putting them in. … They’re on a pallet waiting to be installed, and they haven’t gotten to it yet,” Wilson said. 

Mackie and Wilson each also highlighted their facilities’ commitments to providing their inmates with proper support to reduce recidivism, including mental health and addiction resources. They also pointed to changes in staffing. According to Trumbull County’s jail administrator, David Bobby, the TCAJC has filled all of its vacant positions. 

A year after 21 News uncovered concerns from inside the CCJ about excessive use of force and mistreatment from staff, Mackie said there is less staff turnover and a “culture change” is taking place. 

“My staff, number one, understand their role … They are there to make sure that that person is well, safe, and gets what they need,” Mackie said. “That's the number one job, as far as I'm concerned.”