Ohio’s Criminal Code Overhaul Could Release Over 3,000 Prisoners This Year

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By Anders Hagstrom

Ohio is looking to overhaul its criminal code for the first time since 1974, and the changes would release more than 3,000 inmates over the next year, according to Monday reports.

Ohio’s Criminal Justice Re-codification committee deliberated on the changes for two years. The resulting criminal code, Title 29, would place a cap on state prison populations at 47,000. The state currently houses more than 50,000 inmates, the Columbus Dispatch reported Monday. The law allows the state’s parole boards to release 500 “low-level offenders” per month until the population is in compliance.

The committee changes also institute additional penalties for bad behavior in prison, expand drug treatment programs as an alternative to prison, reduce added penalties for committing a crime while in possession of a firearm, and raise the felony theft threshold to $2,500.

“Through many meetings and a lot of hard work, this group has created a document that will put Ohio on the cutting edge of criminal justice, rehabilitation, and corrections issues,” Senator Matt Huffman said in a statement.

Under the adjusted Title 29, parole boards can begin releasing inmates if Ohio’s prison population remains above the 47,000 limit for more than 30 days, with a male population of no more than 43,500 men and a female population of no more than 3,500. The state currently holds just over 50,000 inmates.

The law disqualifies several categories of inmates from being released under overcrowding compliance, however, including those who have ever been convicted of crimes carrying a life sentence, any inmate convicted of an offense committed while in possession of a firearm, and any inmate who has broken prison rules. The law also prioritizes inmates who have served the majority of their sentences.

“Prison is a finite resource that should prioritize the most violent and dangerous inmates,” the committee explained. “At the same time, releasing inmates who have served the greatest percentage of their sentence is more sound public policy than restricting the discretion of judges and prosecutors in exercise of their charging and sentencing discretion.”

The office of GOP Ohio state Sen. Larry Obhof, who supports the changes, has not responded to a request for comment.