H.B. 113

127th General Assembly

(As Passed by the General Assembly)

 

Reps.     White and Luckie, Combs, J. McGregor, Peterson, Seitz, Webster, Setzer, Latta, Flowers, Schneider, Wagoner, Otterman, Strahorn, Adams, Widener, Barrett, Batchelder, Beatty, Bolon, Boyd, Bubp, Celeste, Coley, Collier, DeBose, DeGeeter, Domenick, Dyer, Fende, Garrison, Gibbs, Goodwin, J. Hagan, Heard, Huffman, Jones, Mandel, Patton, Raussen, Schindel, Schlichter, Wachtmann, Wagner, Wolpert, Yates, Yuko, Zehringer

Sens.      Mason, Fedor, Amstutz, Buehrer, Carey, Cates, Grendell, Harris, Kearney, Niehaus, Morano, Schuler, Seitz, Austria, Mumper, Boccieri, Spada, Cafaro, Faber, Padgett, D. Miller, Goodman, Stivers, Jacobson, Smith, Wagoner, Roberts, R. Miller

Effective date:  June 25, 2008

ACT SUMMARY

·        Requires the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) and the Department of Youth Services (DYS) to permit representatives of all nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations that are registered with DRC or DYS, as applicable, to enter institutions under the control of DRC or DYS for the purpose of providing reentry services to inmates or delinquent children.

·        Directs both DRC and DYS to post a department telephone number on the particular Department's official web sites that the nonprofit organizations described in the preceding dotpoint may call to obtain information about providing reentry services and to list on the web site all of those types of organizations that are registered to provide reentry services.

·        Prohibits DRC and DYS from endorsing or sponsoring any faith-based reentry program, endorsing any specific religious message, or requiring an inmate or delinquent child to participate in a faith-based program.

·        Requires DRC and DYS to annually issue a written report on the particular Department's progress in implementing the recommendations of the Correctional Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force and provide a copy of the written report to all members of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee.

CONTENT AND OPERATION

Reentry services to persons in the custody of DRC or DYS

The act requires the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) and the Department of Youth Services (DYS) to permit representatives of all nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations that are registered with DRC or DYS, as applicable (see below), to enter institutions under the control of DRC or DYS for the purpose of providing reentry services to inmates or to delinquent children in DYS's custody, as applicable.  Reentry services may include, but are not limited to, counseling, housing, job-placement, and money-management assistance.

The act additionally requires both DRC and DYS to post a department telephone number on the particular Department's official Internet web site that nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations that wish to provide reentry services to inmates or delinquent children may call to obtain information.  The web sites also must list all of those types of organizations that are registered with DRC or DYS to provide reentry services.

The act requires DRC and DYS to actively recruit nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations to provide reentry services in institutions under the particular Department's control.  While the act requires DRC and DYS to recruit nonprofit organizations from all faiths and beliefs, it also prohibits DRC and DYS from endorsing or sponsoring any faith-based reentry program or endorsing any specific religious message.  Neither DRC nor DYS may require an inmate or delinquent child to participate in a faith-based program.

Both DRC and DYS are required to adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act for the screening and registration of nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations that apply to provide reentry services in institutions under the particular Department's control (the DYS-related provision refers to institutions under its control and management).

Finally, the act requires DRC and DYS to issue annual written reports on the particular Department's progress in implementing the recommendations of the Correctional Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force (see COMMENT).  DRC and DYS must provide a copy of the written report to all members of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee created under preexisting R.C. 103.71, which is not in the act.  (R.C. 5120.034 and 5139.14.)

COMMENT

Section 503.09 of Am. Sub. H.B. 66 of the 126th General Assembly established the Correctional Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force.  The Task Force was charged with studying seamless faith-based solutions to problems in the correctional system and existing faith-based programs in prisons in Ohio and other states.  The Task Force was required to submit a report and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor after which the Task Force ceased to exist.  The Task Force's report is available at: http://www.drc.state.oh.us/
web/FB.PDF.

HISTORY

ACTION

DATE

 

 

Introduced

03-20-07

Reported, H. Criminal Justice

05-29-07

Passed House (98-0)

06-13-07

Reported, S. Judiciary - Criminal Justice

02-06-08

Passed Senate (33-0)

03-12-08

 

 

 

08-hb113-127.doc/jc