What may be the first-ever military housing unit inside a prison has been put into place at the Belmont Correctional Institution.

"We're putting an underline under the word ‘corrections,’" Director of Veterans Services Tom Moe said.

The idea is to create a mentorship program where veterans can pass along values to young people.

Officials say an entire unit will be dedicated to a percentage of military veterans and prisoners who have previously been enlisted or are looking to enlist.

Director of the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Gary Mohr said he and other officials were looking for a way to transition inmates from prison to the real world.

"We believe that some of these folks will eventually go back and serve our country, and if they don’t serve our country, we believe they will be better prepared to go out and serve the state of Ohio and the families that still love them," Mohr said.

"This is a way to rehabilitate them, continue to make their lives productive, and I'm so excited about all the support for the program," Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton said.