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Ohio Prison System Mistakenly Releases Inmate ID Data
By: Associated Press
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MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) – The Ohio prisons system says it’s looking into identity theft monitoring services for inmates after the agency accidentally released about 2,000 prisoners’ social security numbers.
The information was mistakenly included on a list of inmates at Chillicothe Correctional Institution provided in a records request to an ex-offender who regularly requests such rosters.
The Mansfield News Journal reports 43-year-old Lonny Bristow turned the information over to the newspaper Tuesday, a day after receiving the records.
Bristow’s past convictions include credit card scams committed while serving previous sentences. Bristow said he didn’t plan to use the information because his criminal life is over.
Prisons spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said the agency takes the situation seriously.