Attorney Jeffrey Donnellon filed suit in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio earlier this month on behalf of 4 former and 33 current inmates of the Chillicothe Correctional Institution seeking damages caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers in the prison. According to Donnellon, many of the plaintiffs believe they have lung problems attributable to asbestos. The suit accuses Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction officials with providing false information regarding the presence of asbestos and of "deliberate indifference" to a known health risk. The lawsuit further alleges that inmate work crews had been forced to remove or work with asbestos without proper training or protection.

Chillicothe prison, which opened in 1966, is a state correctional facility housing 2,850 inmates and employing a staff of 587. According to the lawsuit, many of the prison's steam pipes are wrapped in asbestos insulation, including those located in many dormitory units and utility tunnels. In many areas the insulation has broken down and is in powder form. Lab tests done on samples collected by prison inmates from dormitory floors and steam pipe insulation confirmed the presence of asbestos. Contrary to these findings, prison officials had told state inspectors last year that there was no asbestos present in prison housing units. A January 26th report revealed that when asked about asbestos, a prison official stated that any asbestos in housing units was removed two years ago.

The plaintiffs are also seeking a court ordered independent investigation into the matter and are requesting that the prison be closed if the asbestos cannot be safely removed.