Ohio's jail system is composed of four primary classifications: full-service, minimum security, five-day, and eight-hour jails. The data and information provided address jail populations, per diem costs, jail incidents and litigation, and staffing patterns. The average daily count for all Ohio jails in 1996 was 13,327 inmates, a 0.6-percent increase over the previous year. On average, offenders confined to a minimum-security jail spent more time incarcerated than those in any other jail classification. Despite a 7-percent increase from 1995, full-service jails continued to be the least costly of Ohio's classifications ($54.54 average cost per bed). In terms of jail incidents during 1996, there were 20 fires, 29 escapes, and 5 suicides. The number of lawsuits filed against Ohio's jails significantly decreased from 102 in 1995 to 42 in 1996; the majority of these lawsuits were filed against full-service jails. The ratio of inmates to security officers remained at 3:1 during 1996. Ohio's jails employed 4,485 full-time male and female security officers and 264 part-time officers. The number of full- time female officers increased by 18 percent from the previous year. Compared nationally, Ohio's long-term trends parallel those of the Nation. Only 36 percent of Ohio's jails complied with all of the required standards at the time of inspection, a 28- percent decline from the previous year. 9 tables