BeCI Protestant Chaplain

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction is procuring Protestant chaplaincy services for Belmont Correctional Institution in Belmont County, Ohio, which houses approximately 2,500 incarcerated individuals. This is a personal services contract for a Protestant Contract Chaplain position with a contract period beginning March 1, 2026, and continuing through June 30, 2027, with potential for annual renewals at the State's sole discretion. The contractor will be responsible for conducting weekly religious programming, providing religious study and education classes, delivering pastoral care to inmates including crisis counseling and bedside/funeral viewings, supervising volunteer programming, attending mandatory annual religious service meetings, making referrals to appropriate services, distributing religious literature, and submitting monthly service reports by the fifth of each month. The position requires up to 32 hours per week at a rate of $25.00 per hour, with working conditions including potential exposure to confined or violent inmates, contagious diseases, unusual noises and odors, and required weekend/Sunday availability with possible emergency call-outs. Qualified candidates must hold current ecclesiastical endorsement or ordination from their representative faith organization and demonstrate prior experience providing religious services in correctional settings. The proposal due date is February 16, 2026, and interested applicants should contact Vince Wallace, Business Administrator 3, at Belmont Correctional Institution in St. Clairsville, Ohio, at (740) 314-5381 or Vince.Wallace@Drc.Ohio.Gov.

All bidders are subject to the State of Ohio Standard Terms and Conditions and must comply with Executive Orders 2019-12D and 2022-02D, which establish operational guidelines and procurement procedures for state agencies. Contractors must complete and submit an Affirmation and Disclosure Form affirming that services will be performed and data will be stored within the United States, with the understanding that the State reserves the right to immediately terminate the contract if these requirements are violated without proper waiver. All contractors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and automobile liability coverage of $1,000,000 per accident, comply with antitrust laws and ethics requirements, and maintain drug-free workplace standards. The contract documents do not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting eligibility to specific organizational types. The anticipated contract value is based on the specified hourly rate of $25.00 per hour for up to 32 hours per week, resulting in an estimated annual cost of approximately $41,600 for the initial contract period, though no guaranteed minimum hours are specified. Payment will be made 30 calendar days after receipt of proper invoices, with electronic funds transfer being the State's preferred payment method.