Prisoners in Ohio hid computers filled with porn, info about making explosives

Location in the prison ceiling where the computers were found (State of Ohio Office of the Inspector General).

A prison work program in Ohio is in the spotlight after two inmates built computers from PCs they were supposed to be recycling and hid them in a training room ceiling.

According to a report from Ohio's Office of the Inspector General prisoners at the Marion Correctional Institution (MCI) in Marion, OH were supposed to dismantle the used computers for recycling. Instead they built the computers and loaded them with various software, porn and articles on making explosives.

The incident occurred in 2015, but has only just been made public in recent days.

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The clandestine device was discovered after large and unusual amounts of Internet activity were flagged by the prison’s IT staff.

"We appreciate the time the Inspector General’s office has taken to conduct these investigations and we have already taken steps to address some areas of concern," a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections told Fox News via email. "We will thoroughly review the reports and take any additional steps necessary to prevent these types of things from happening again.  It is of critical importance that we provide necessary safeguards in regards to the use of technology while still providing opportunities for offenders to participate in meaningful and rehabilitative programming."

After investigating the activity, which saw a user try to access a file-sharing site that had been blocked by the server, an IT staff member and two inmates found a network cable in the ceiling of a training room.

“The two computers were connected to [Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction]'s computer network and were not owned by the State of Ohio," the report said.

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The alert was triggered after the credentials of a contractor not scheduled to work that day were used on the computer in question.

MCI, which houses approximately 2,500 inmates, runs several programs to give back to the community, including the MCI Green Initiative, where it works on its conservation efforts and other green practices.