Relief may soon be on the way for Ohio’s expensive and overcrowded prison system, and people who have committed minor offenses that are making it tough for them to reintegrate into society.
Under the leadership of Senate President Obhof, and new House Speaker Ryan Smith, the Ohio state legislature recently passed Senate Bill 66, now on Governor Kasich’s desk.
The measure contains a number of provisions that would divert low-risk offenders from the prison system towards programs more suitable for their rehabilitation, and provides ‘clean slate’ provisions to seal records for a certain number of minor offenses. Having a record, even for less serious crimes, often makes it difficult – sometimes impossible – for people to get hired, or find a place to live.
Specifically, the bill allows judges to recommend “community control” for nonviolent convictions of fourth- and fifth-degree felonies that are not sexual in nature instead of prison time. The “community control” is generally designed to treat the specific nature of the crime. For example, a person convicted of possessing a gram of heroin may be assigned to an outpatient drug rehabilitation center.
Additionally, Senate Bill 66 would remove the one year prison sentence requirement for parole violations. It would also be easier for those convicted of fourth- and fifth-degree felonies to have their criminal records sealed.
Hopefully, these reforms will reduce the stress on Ohio’s prison system. More convicts will be head to the community control programs instead of prisons. A reduction in parole violation imprisonment will reduce the inflow into the system.
Ohio’s prisons sure could need it. According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the Ohio prison system currently houses 50,200 inmates, yet the prisons are designed to hold only 38,579.
Generally, Senate Bill 66 is a more humane and reasonable approach to criminal justice. Daniel J. Dew, a legal fellow at the Buckeye Institute, sums this point nicely in a statement released June 27, 2018. Dew said:
“These new policies will help Ohioans, who have committed low-level offenses and often suffer from addiction or mental health issues, get the treatment they need, and, after repaying their debt to society, will enable them to remove the modern-day scarlet letter of a criminal record that is a barrier to employment, housing, and education.”
The legislation enjoyed wide, bi-partisan support. The initial sponsors were Republican Senator John Eklund and Democrat Senator Charleta Tavares. In addition to the Buckeye Institute, OTR and Americans for Tax Reform, the bill saw support from the ACLU, Policy Matters, U.S. Justice Action Network, and more.