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MANSFIELD -- For those who work and live there, the county jail will feel a little roomier today.In less than two weeks, 20 corrections officers and more than 50 prisoners have departed because of budget-induced deputy layoffs. The entire top floor has been shuttered. Eight officers patrol an inmate population of 162; previously, 12 officers kept tabs on up to 215 prisoners.

Sheriff's Maj. Roger Paxton, the jail administrator, said the wave of releases began March 29. Inmates have slowly trickled out, a few at a time, since then. Because the terms of release for each individual case are different, Paxton said it would be difficult to pinpoint the names of every inmate whose get-out-of-jail-free card was thanks to layoffs.

Of the newly released, the vast majority were labeled low-risk; they missed a court date or were locked up for minor drug possession or probation violations. Court officials said none are considered violent. However, they also conceded several would still be behind bars were in not for the budget situation.

The released prisoners got speedier indictments and, in some cases, lower bonds. The county's four adult criminal judges look- ed at each released prisoner on a case-by-case basis, many of whom were sent home for house arrest.

Among those who could've served longer were men like Michael Stockmaster, 26, of Bellville. He was booked and quickly released March 29 -- the day officials started to thin the jail population -- after getting hit with a menacing charge.

Another man, Adam Slaughter, 29, of Mansfield, was picked up on charges of DUI, driving with a suspended license and leaving an accident scene April 3. He was arrested on a Saturday, booked Sunday and out Monday on $500 bond.

Not every inmate was as fortunate. Corey Perez, 19, was booked March 30 on a rape charge. He won't be going anywhere. Neither will Lucas Williams, 26, who is awaiting a court appearance on a burglary charge.

Paxton said news of the layoffs spread quickly to inmates, who began ribbing corrections officers in attempts to gain release. In the end, though, the number of actual releases shrank by almost half from the original forecast of 90.

"I'm going to try and hold my ground until I hear from the state," Paxton said Thursday, referring to a planned visit from a state county jail inspector.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction is charged under state law with developing minimum standards for county jails. The latest revision, released in 2003, includes provisions regarding things such as TVs, meal times, visitation and medical access.

What's not included are provisions for minimum staffing levels or prisoner-to-corrections officer ratios, since physical limitations vary widely among Ohio's 88 counties. Instead, the state hires four state inspectors to review county jails and make recommendations to assure they steer clear of violations or lawsuits.

"The inmates get all these different things done that you have to have staff to back up," Paxton said. "I don't want to put the sheriff's department liability or the county liability at risk for not having sufficient staff."

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