To amend sections 2930.16 and 2967.12 and to enact section 5149.102 of the Revised Code to permit the victim of an offense of violence, or the victim's representative, to testify at a panel hearing of the Parole Board regarding the parole of the offender who committed the offense of violence.

Section 1. That sections 2930.16 and 2967.12 be amended and section 5149.102 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 2930.16.  (A) If a defendant is incarcerated, a victim in a case who has requested to receive notice under this section shall be given notice of the incarceration of the defendant. If an alleged juvenile offender is committed to the temporary custody of a school, camp, institution, or other facility operated for the care of delinquent children or to the legal custody of the department of youth services, a victim in a case who has requested to receive notice under this section shall be given notice of the commitment. Promptly after sentence is imposed upon the defendant or the commitment of the alleged juvenile offender is ordered, the prosecutor in the case shall notify the victim of the date on which the defendant will be released from confinement or the prosecutor's reasonable estimate of that date or the date on which the alleged juvenile offender will have served the minimum period of commitment or the prosecutor's reasonable estimate of that date. The prosecutor also shall notify the victim of the name of the custodial agency of the defendant or alleged juvenile offender and tell the victim how to contact that custodial agency. If the custodial agency is the department of youth services, the prosecutor shall notify the victim of the services provided by the office of victims' services within the release authority of the department pursuant to section 5139.55 of the Revised Code and the victim's right pursuant to section 5139.56 of the Revised Code to submit a written request to the release authority to be notified of actions the release authority takes with respect to the alleged juvenile offender. The victim shall keep the custodial agency informed of the victim's current address and telephone number.

(B)(1) Upon the victim's request, the prosecutor promptly shall notify the victim of any hearing for judicial release of the defendant pursuant to section 2929.20 of the Revised Code or of any hearing for judicial release or early release of the alleged juvenile offender pursuant to section 2151.38 of the Revised Code and of the victim's right to make a statement under those sections. The court shall notify the victim of its ruling in each of those hearings and on each of those applications.

(2) Upon the request of a victim of a crime that is a sexually violent offense and that is committed by a sexually violent predator who is sentenced to a prison term pursuant to division (A)(3) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code, the prosecutor promptly shall notify the victim of any hearing to be conducted pursuant to section 2971.05 of the Revised Code to determine whether to modify the requirement that the offender serve the entire prison term in a state correctional facility in accordance with division (C) of that section, whether to continue, revise, or revoke any existing modification of that requirement, or whether to terminate the prison term in accordance with division (D) of that section. The court shall notify the victim of any order issued at the conclusion of the hearing. As used in this division, "sexually violent offense" and "sexually violent predator" have the same meanings as in section 2971.01 of the Revised Code.

(C) Upon the victim's request made at any time before the particular notice would be due, the custodial agency of a defendant or alleged juvenile offender shall give the victim any of the following notices that is applicable:

(1) At least three weeks before the adult parole authority recommends a pardon or commutation of sentence for the defendant or at least three weeks prior to a hearing before the adult parole authority regarding a grant of parole to the defendant, notice of the victim's right to submit a statement regarding the impact of the defendant's release in accordance with section 2967.12 of the Revised Code and, notice, if applicable, of the victim's right to appear at a full board hearing of the parole board to give testimony as authorized by section 5149.101 of the Revised Code, and notice, if applicable, of the victim's right to appear at a panel hearing of the parole board to give testimony as authorized by section 5149.102 of the Revised Code;

(2) At least three weeks before the defendant is transferred to transitional control under section 2967.26 of the Revised Code, notice of the pendency of the transfer and of the victim's right under that section to submit a statement regarding the impact of the transfer;

(3) At least thirty days before the release authority of the department of youth services holds a release review, release hearing, or discharge review for the alleged juvenile offender, notice of the pendency of the review or hearing, of the victim's right to make an oral or written statement regarding the impact of the crime upon the victim or regarding the possible release or discharge, and, if the notice pertains to a hearing, of the victim's right to attend and make statements or comments at the hearing as authorized by section 5139.56 of the Revised Code;

(4) Prompt notice of the defendant's or alleged juvenile offender's escape from a facility of the custodial agency in which the defendant was incarcerated or in which the alleged juvenile offender was placed after commitment, of the defendant's or alleged juvenile offender's absence without leave from a mental health or mental retardation and developmental disabilities facility or from other custody, and of the capture of the defendant or alleged juvenile offender after an escape or absence;

(5) Notice of the defendant's or alleged juvenile offender's death while in confinement or custody;

(6) Notice of the defendant's or alleged juvenile offender's release from confinement or custody and the terms and conditions of the release.

Sec. 2967.12.  (A) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, at least three weeks before the adult parole authority recommends any pardon or commutation of sentence, or grants any parole, the authority shall send a notice of the pendency of the pardon, commutation, or parole, setting forth the name of the person on whose behalf it is made, the offense of which the person was convicted, the time of conviction, and the term of the person's sentence, to the prosecuting attorney and the judge of the court of common pleas of the county in which the indictment against the person was found. If there is more than one judge of that court of common pleas, the authority shall send the notice to the presiding judge.

(B) If a request for notification has been made pursuant to section 2930.16 of the Revised Code, the adult parole authority also shall give notice to the victim or the victim's representative prior to recommending any pardon or commutation of sentence for, or granting any parole to, the person. The authority shall provide the notice at the same time as the notice required by division (A) of this section and shall include in the notice the information required to be set forth in that notice. The notice also shall inform the victim or the victim's representative that the victim or representative may send a written statement relative to the victimization and the pending action to the adult parole authority and that, if the authority receives any written statement prior to recommending a pardon or commutation or granting a parole for a person, the authority will consider the statement before it recommends a pardon or commutation or grants a parole. If the person is being considered for parole, the notice shall inform the victim or the victim's representative that a full board hearing of the parole board may be held and that the victim or victim's representative may contact the office of victims' services for further information. If the person is being considered for parole and if the victim was the victim of an offense of violence, the notice shall inform the victim or the victim's representative that the victim or victim's representative has the right to give testimony at a panel hearing of the parole board and that the victim or victim's representative may contact the office of victim's services for further information.

(C) When notice of the pendency of any pardon, commutation of sentence, or parole has been given as provided in division (A) of this section and a hearing on the pardon, commutation, or parole is continued to a date certain, the authority shall give notice by mail of the further consideration of the pardon, commutation, or parole to the proper judge and prosecuting attorney at least ten days before the further consideration. When notice of the pendency of any pardon, commutation, or parole has been given as provided in division (B) of this section and the hearing on it is continued to a date certain, the authority shall give notice of the further consideration to the victim or the victim's representative in accordance with section 2930.03 of the Revised Code.

(D) In case of an application for the pardon or commutation of sentence of a person sentenced to capital punishment, the governor may modify the requirements of notification and publication if there is not sufficient time for compliance with the requirements before the date fixed for the execution of sentence.

(E) If an offender is serving a prison term imposed under division (A)(3) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code and if the parole board terminates its control over the offender's service of that term pursuant to section 2971.04 of the Revised Code, the parole board immediately shall provide written notice of its termination of control or the transfer of control to the entities and persons specified in section 2971.04 of the Revised Code.

(F) The failure of the adult parole authority to comply with the notice provisions of division (A), (B), or (C) of this section or the failure of the parole board to comply with the notice provisions of division (E) of this section do not give any rights or any grounds for appeal or post-conviction relief to the person serving the sentence.

(G) Divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section do not apply to any release of a person that is of the type described in division (B)(2)(b) of section 5120.031 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5149.102. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Panel hearing" means the consideration by members of the parole board of the proposed parole of a prisoner when that consideration is not a full board hearing of the parole board conducted pursuant to section 5149.101 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Victim's representative" means the victim's representative designated pursuant to section 2930.02 of the Revised Code.

(B) At a panel hearing that relates to the proposed parole of a prisoner who is serving a term of imprisonment for committing an offense of violence, the victim of the offense for which the prisoner is serving the sentence or the victim's representative may appear and give testimony or submit written statements.

(C) At the request of a person described in division (B) of this section, any representatives of the news media otherwise authorized to attend the hearing shall be excluded from the hearing while that person is giving testimony at the hearing.

Section 2. That existing sections 2930.16 and 2967.12 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.