Ohio prison audit released after officer’s death

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has released audit findings of Ross Correctional Institution (RCI) following the killing of correction officer Andrew Lansing on Christmas Day.

According to the ODRC, inmate Rashawn Cannon beat Lansing to death inside a guard shack in the prison yard. ODRC Director Annette Chambers-Smith said Cannon broke away from his unit as they headed to the dining hall and attacked Lansing. The guard shack was not a locked structure.

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Cannon had been serving time for felonious assault and having a weapon under disability. In April 2024, Lansing wrote a conduct report against Cannon for disrespect, threats and disobedience of a direct order. Cannon was found guilty on two of the charges. 

He now faces three counts of aggravated murder and could face the death penalty. He has since been moved to the Ohio State Penitentiary.

“As with any tragic event within a correctional institution, this horrendous attack and murder necessitated a deep dive into operations at RCI,” the report summary stated. “The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction is committed to continuously reviewing and improving operations to help prevent such a tragic event from ever occurring again.”

RELATED: ‘Tasers won’t work’: Family of Andrew Lansing demands more security measures at Ohio prisons

The 2024 RCI Internal Management Audit and American Correctional Association Reaccreditation Audit determined the prison was fully staffed on Dec. 25, 2024.

• Staffing levels: Fifty-one correction officers were assigned to first shift, with eight more, including Lansing, volunteering for overtime. All 59 regular security posts were filled, supported by four supervisors, one captain and three lieutenants.
• Single-officer post: The guard shack where Lansing was stationed has been a one-officer post since at least 2002, the report says. The audit found staffing of the post was compliant. Following staff requests, the shack has since been removed. A larger replacement structure will be installed nearby once electricity access is added.
• Alarm review: Lansing’s personal alarm device was found to be fully operational on the day of the attack.
• Inmate classification: Cannon had been classified at security level three, which was deemed appropriate at the time. After the attack, he was transferred to a level four facility before being moved to the penitentiary. He was found to be appropriately placed at RCI before the attack.

“Inmate Cannon was properly classified as security level 3. Inmate Cannon was permitted to leave the housing unit that morning to go to the food service area,” the reports says. “While in route to food service, Cannon made the decision to veer off the designated path…”

The report noted that after Lansing’s death, RCI added eight correction officer positions, along with two lieutenant and three shift sergeant positions, as part of its Back-to-Basics Committee recommendations.

The report ultimately concluded that Lansing’s murder was “the result of inmate Cannon’s actions, and not a lapse in policy compliance.”

10TV Investigates reporter Rochelle Alleyne spoke with Chambers-Smith on Friday about the changes made within RCI following the report.

“Some of the changes involve many more staff coming to what they call the center court because it’s a two-sided prison — coming to the center court during mass movement,” she said. “Some of the positions that were added were correction officers added to the yard. They made changes to who can move at the same time.”

The ODRC said they have also added tasers to RCI and another prison and are training two other prisons to use tasers, as well as providing staff with defense training.