Former Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis has been transferred to Belmont Correctional Institution, where he is expected to serve the remainder of his 30-month prison sentence for his role in the county’s public corruption scandal.
Davis was initially sent to the Correctional Reception Center in Orient after entering the Ohio prison system on October 5. That facility handles the intake, evaluation and classification of newly admitted prisoners.
Now he’s been moved to Belmont, a sprawling prison complex near St. Clairsville in eastern Ohio.
And thanks to a detailed state inspection conducted earlier this year, we can offer readers a look at what life is like inside Davis’s new surroundings.
The February 12 inspection by the Ohio Attorney General’s Correctional Facilities Inspection Services examined everything from sleeping arrangements and prison meals to recreation, job opportunities, medical care and security.
Nearly 2,500 Prisoners, Mostly in Open Dormitories
Belmont Correctional Institution opened in 1995 and occupies 158 acres with 17 buildings.
On the day of the state inspection, it housed 2,487 men, with room for 2,713. The prisoners ranged in age from 18 to 85, with an average age of about 42.
Unlike prisons where inmates spend most of their time in individual cells, Belmont primarily uses open-dormitory housing.
The prison is divided into units that can accommodate up to 244 men apiece.
Inspectors toured one general housing unit holding 235 prisoners. It was supervised by two correctional officers, a sergeant, a case manager and a unit manager.
The report described the housing units as clean and organized, with access to washers, dryers, ice machines and water fountains.
Belmont also operates a separate minimum-security camp. About 488 men were housed there during the inspection.
Camp prisoners are carefully screened based on their offenses and institutional behavior. Some are approved to work outside the prison.
Belmont houses minimum- and medium-security prisoners, along with individuals requiring special management.
The state has not identified Davis’s specific housing assignment, so it isn’t clear whether he will live in a regular dormitory, the camp or another unit.
What’s on the Menu?
Prison meals are one of the details people often wonder about.
During the February inspection, state officials sampled lunch at Belmont.
The menu featured sloppy joe, a baked potato, two slices of bread, salad with Italian dressing, a banana and a brownie topped with powdered sugar.
Inspectors found the meal met state standards for portion size, taste, appearance and temperature.
Food service is operated with assistance from Aramark, which also offers a training program that allows qualified prisoners to work toward food-service certifications.
The inspectors found the kitchen and dining areas clean, with no food-service policy violations.
Of course, that was one meal on one day, not a guarantee of what prisoners eat every day.
Prison Jobs Include Making Toilet Paper
Belmont offers several opportunities for prisoners to work or receive job training.
One of the more unusual operations is a toilet paper manufacturing program run through Ohio Penal Industries.
The prison produces and distributes toilet paper for state correctional facilities, Ohio Department of Natural Resources locations and rest areas across the state.
According to the inspection report, the operation can produce up to 14,000 pounds of toilet paper per day.
Prisoners can also pursue forklift certification and OSHA safety training.
Other educational and vocational opportunities include welding, plumbing, construction technology, horticulture, food production and college coursework through Ashland University.
Some carefully screened prisoners are even approved to work for a private company, Telling Industries, in Cambridge. Their wages are deposited into savings accounts for use after release.
The prison also offers GED preparation, apprenticeships, résumé assistance and reentry programs.
Whether Davis will participate in any of those programs has not been disclosed
Basketball, Weightlifting and Music
Prisoners at Belmont have access to both indoor and outdoor recreation.
The facility offers basketball leagues, weightlifting equipment, arts and crafts, a softball field and a music room with music production capabilities.
Inspectors described the recreation facilities as clean, organized and well-maintained.
The prison also has a renovated library and law library, where prisoners can access books, legal resources and employment assistance.
Another specialized housing area, known as the normalcy unit, is designed to help eligible prisoners prepare for life after release.
It includes a furnished common area with sofas, chairs and a large-screen television.
But admission isn’t automatic.
Prisoners must apply, have a clean disciplinary record for the preceding six months, participate in assigned jobs and meet other requirements, including being within three years of their expected release.
There’s no indication Davis has been assigned to that unit
Family Visits and Electronic Mail
Belmont allows contact visits, meaning approved visitors can meet with prisoners in person rather than communicating only through a barrier.
During the inspection, officials found a visitation area with seating, vending machines, food options, children’s books and arcade games intended to make family visits easier.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction currently lists in-person visiting hours Wednesday through Sunday, with morning and afternoon sessions. Video visits are also available. Visitors must follow the prison’s scheduling and approval procedures.
Personal letters and cards are processed through a central mail facility in Youngstown and delivered electronically to prisoners’ tablets.
Those tablets also provide access to the prison’s grievance system, allowing prisoners to file complaints about institutional conditions and staff actions.
Inspectors reviewed 13 grievances filed during the month before their visit and found that the prison was handling complaints according to state rules
The Prison Also Has Security Problems
The inspection report generally gave Belmont favorable marks for cleanliness, staffing and compliance with prison rules.
But that doesn’t mean the facility is free of problems.
The report documented drug-related contraband, including synthetic drugs, Suboxone, cocaine-laced paper, fentanyl-laced paper and tobacco.
Inspectors reported that prison officials had identified 225 prisoners associated with 42 security threat groups, including gangs.
Drug testing in January 2026 also produced several positive results for Suboxone.
At the same time, inspectors reported no substantiated Prison Rape Elimination Act cases during the preceding 12 months.
The prison’s staff vacancy rate was 4.29%, well below the statewide correctional agency average of 10.4% reported at the time.
The inspection team concluded that Belmont was operating efficiently and found no violations of Department of Rehabilitation and Correction policies during its visit.
Those findings provide a snapshot of conditions in February, rather than a guarantee of current conditions or any individual prisoner’s experience
From County Office to Prison Dormitory
Davis’s arrival at Belmont marks another step in a case that began with an investigation into public contracts involving the Southern Ohio Port Authority and the SOAR Business Park.
He pleaded guilty in July to theft in office, receiving stolen property and filing an incomplete, false or fraudulent tax return.
In September, Visiting Judge D. Dean Evans sentenced him to 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay $67,808.67 in restitution to Scioto County, along with other financial penalties.
Davis had asked the court to allow him to serve community control instead of going to prison. The judge rejected that request.
State prison records previously listed his expected release date as March 16, 2029. That projected date is subject to any applicable adjustments.
Belmont is now his assigned institution following his transfer from the reception center.
The former commissioner will be living under prison rules, sharing facilities with hundreds of other men and following the daily schedules established by correctional staff.
While the state inspection offers a revealing look at Belmont, it doesn’t tell us which dormitory Davis occupies, what work he may be assigned or how he’s adjusting to prison life.
What it does show is the institution where the former county official will now spend his days as he serves his sentence.
