130th Ohio General Assembly
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As Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee

123rd General Assembly
Regular Session
1999-2000
S. B. No. 115

SENATORS MALLORY-FINGERHUT-HAGAN-HERINGTON-McLIN-PRENTISS- SHOEMAKER-CARNES


A BILL
To amend sections 5139.07, 5145.06, and 5145.161 of the Revised Code to require that prisoners in the custody of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction participate in educational programs and that children who are committed to the Department of Youth Services work toward earning a high school diploma, and generally to limit designated types of prisoner employment to prisoners who have earned a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalence.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:


Section 1. That sections 5139.07, 5145.06, and 5145.161 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 5139.07. (A)(1)(a) As a means of correcting the socially harmful tendencies of a child committed to it, the department of youth services may require participation by the A child TO PARTICIPATE in vocational, physical, educational, and corrective training and activities, and the conduct and modes of life that seem best adapted to rehabilitate the child and fit the child for return to full liberty without danger to the public welfare. The

(b) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REQUIRE ANY CHILD COMMITTED TO IT WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED A DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE, TO PARTICIPATE IN COURSES LEADING TOWARD A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR AN OHIO CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE. THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO A CHILD IN AN ASSESSMENT PROGRAM OR TREATMENT INTERVENTION PROGRAM PRESCRIBED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

(c) THE department may monetarily compensate the child for the activities described in this section by transferring the wages of the child for those activities to the appropriate youth benefit fund created under section 5139.86 of the Revised Code. This

(d) THIS section does not permit the department to release a child committed to it from institutional care or institutional care in a secure facility, whichever is applicable, other than in accordance with sections 2151.38, 5139.06, 5139.38, and 5139.50 to 5139.54 of the Revised Code.

(2) THE FAILURE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES TO PROVIDE, PURSUANT TO DIVISION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY CHILD COMMITTED TO IT TO PARTICIPATE IN COURSES THAT LEAD TO A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR AN OHIO CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE, DOES NOT GIVE RISE TO A CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT.

(B) The department may require a child committed to it to return to the child's home or to be placed in a foster care placement if it is authorized to make a placement of that nature under sections 2151.38, 5139.06, 5139.38, and 5139.50 to 5139.54 of the Revised Code. Any placement of that nature shall be made in accordance with those sections. The legal residence of a child so placed by the department is the place in which the child is residing in accordance with a department order of placement. The school district responsible for payment of tuition on behalf of the child so placed shall be determined pursuant to section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5145.06. (A) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall establish and operate a school system that is approved and chartered by the department of education and designated as the Ohio central school system to serve all of the correctional institutions under its control. The Ohio central school system shall provide educational programs for prisoners to allow them to complete adult basic education courses, earn Ohio certificates of high school equivalence, or pursue vocational training. To that end, the department may employ appropriately certified teachers, administrators, and support staff. The department shall provide classrooms, shops, and other appropriate facilities and necessary furniture, books, stationery, supplies, and equipment.

(B)(1) THE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTION SHALL REQUIRE EACH PRISONER WHO HAS NOT OBTAINED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA TO TAKE COURSES LEADING TOWARD AN OHIO CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE, AN OHIO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA PURSUANT TO SECTION 3313.61 of the Revised Code, OR COURSES THAT PROVIDE VOCATIONAL TRAINING. IF A PRISONER HAS OBTAINED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENCOURAGE THE PRISONER TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM OF ADVANCED STUDIES OR TRAINING FOR A SKILLED TRADE.

(2) THE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTION SHALL ADOPT RULES THAT PRESCRIBE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY TAKE IF A PRISONER REFUSES TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM REQUIRED UNDER DIVISION (B)(1) OF THIS SECTION.

(3) THE FAILURE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTION TO PROVIDE, PURSUANT TO DIVISION (B)(1) OF THIS SECTION, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY PRISONER TO PARTICIPATE IN COURSES THAT LEAD TOWARD AN OHIO CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE OR AN OHIO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, OR THAT PROVIDE VOCATIONAL TRAINING, DOES NOT GIVE RISE TO A CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT.

Sec. 5145.161. (A) The program for the employment of prisoners within the custody of the department of rehabilitation and correction that the department is required to establish by division (A) of section 5145.16 of the Revised Code shall be administered in accordance with any rules adopted pursuant to division (B) of section 5145.03 of the Revised Code and with the following requirements:

(1) The department shall consider the nature of the offense committed by a prisoner, the availability of employment, the security requirements for the prisoner, his THE PRISONER'S present state of mind, his THE PRISONER'S record in the institution to which he THE PRISONER has been committed, and all other relevant factors when assigning a prisoner to his THE PRISONER'S initial job assignment. The department, when making a prisoner's initial job assignment, shall attempt to develop the prisoner's work skills, provide rehabilitation for the prisoner, consider the proximity to the prisoner's family, and permit the prisoner to provide support for his THE PRISONER'S dependents if the inmate's PRISONER'S earnings are sufficient for that to be feasible.

(2)(a) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN DIVISION (A)(2)(b) OF THIS SECTION, NO PRISONER SHALL BE ASSIGNED TO ANY JOB WITH THE OHIO PENAL INDUSTRIES, OR TO ANY OTHER JOB LEVEL OR JOB GRADE OF PRISONER EMPLOYMENT THAT THE DIRECTOR OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTION MAY DESIGNATE, UNLESS THE PRISONER HAS OBTAINED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR A CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE.

(b) DIVISION (A)(2)(a) OF THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING:

(i) A PRISONER WHO IS DETERMINED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PROCEDURE APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR, TO BE INCAPABLE OF OBTAINING A DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE;

(ii) A PRISONER WORKING IN THE OHIO PENAL INDUSTRIES AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 1999, WHO APPLIED ON OR BEFORE MAY 1, 1999, FOR ENROLLMENT IN A PROGRAM LEADING TO A DIPLOMA OR A CERTIFICATE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE, AND WHO HAS BEEN ENROLLED IN THAT PROGRAM FOR LESS THAN ONE YEAR.

(3) Each prisoner shall be required to perform his THE PRISONER'S job satisfactorily, be permitted to be absent from his THE PRISONER'S job only for legitimate reasons, be required to comply with all security requirements, and be required to comply with any other reasonable job performance standards.

(3)(4) A prisoner who advances from one job grade to the next higher job grade within the job level, advances from one job level to the next higher job level, or advances from one job category to the next highest job category shall receive additional benefits in accordance with the rules adopted pursuant to division (B) of section 5145.03 of the Revised Code.

(4)(5) A prisoner shall not be eligible for a job in private industry or agriculture, unless he THE PRISONER meets the requirements of the department for private employment that are set forth in rules adopted pursuant to division (B) of section 5145.03 of the Revised Code.

(5)(6) A prisoner who violates the work requirements of any job grade, level, or category shall be disciplined pursuant to the disciplinary procedure adopted pursuant to division (B)(9) of section 5145.03 of the Revised Code.

(B) The department of rehabilitation and correction may administer the program that it is required to establish by division (A) of section 5145.16 of the Revised Code in any manner that is consistent with division (A) of this section, division (B) of section 5145.03, and section 5145.16 of the Revised Code.


Section 2. That existing sections 5139.07, 5145.06, and 5145.161 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.


Section 3. Section 5139.07 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Am. Sub. H.B. 1 and Am. Sub. H.B. 215 of the 122nd General Assembly, with the new language of neither of the acts shown in capital letters. This is in recognition of the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that such amendments are to be harmonized where not substantively irreconcilable and constitutes a legislative finding that such is the resulting version in effect prior to the effective date of this act.
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