CHAPTER 2967: PARDON; PAROLE; PROBATION

As used in this chapter:

(A) “State correctional institution” includes any institution or facility that is operated by the department of rehabilitation and correction and that is used for the custody, care, or treatment of criminal, delinquent, or psychologically or psychiatrically disturbed offenders.

(B) “Pardon” means the remission of penalty by the governor in accordance with the power vested in the governor by the constitution.

(C) “Commutation” or “commutation of sentence” means the substitution by the governor of a lesser for a greater punishment. A stated prison term may be commuted without the consent of the convict, except when granted upon the acceptance and performance by the convict of conditions precedent. After commutation, the commuted prison term shall be the only one in existence. The commutation may be stated in terms of commuting from a named offense to a lesser included offense with a shorter prison term, in terms of commuting from a stated prison term in months and years to a shorter prison term in months and years, or in terms of commuting from any other stated prison term to a shorter prison term.

(D) “Reprieve” means the temporary suspension by the governor of the execution of a sentence or prison term. The governor may grant a reprieve without the consent of and against the will of the convict.

(E) “Parole” means, regarding a prisoner who is serving a prison term for aggravated murder or murder, who is serving a prison term of life imprisonment for rape or for felonious sexual penetration as it existed under section 2907.12 of the Revised Code prior to September 3, 1996, or who was sentenced prior to July 1, 1996, a release of the prisoner from confinement in any state correctional institution by the adult parole authority that is subject to the eligibility criteria specified in this chapter and that is under the terms and conditions, and for the period of time, prescribed by the authority in its published rules and official minutes or required by division (A) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code or another provision of this chapter.

(F) “Head of a state correctional institution” or “head of the institution” means the resident head of the institution and the person immediately in charge of the institution, whether designated warden, superintendent, or any other name by which the head is known.

(G) “Convict” means a person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of this state, whether or not actually confined in a state correctional institution, unless the person has been pardoned or has served the person’s sentence or prison term.

(H) “Prisoner” means a person who is in actual confinement in a state correctional institution.

(I) “Parolee” means any inmate who has been released from confinement on parole by order of the adult parole authority or conditionally pardoned, who is under supervision of the adult parole authority and has not been granted a final release, and who has not been declared in violation of the inmate’s parole by the authority or is performing the prescribed conditions of a conditional pardon.

(J) “Releasee” means an inmate who has been released from confinement pursuant to section 2967.28 of the Revised Code under a period of post-release control that includes one or more post-release control sanctions.

(K) “Final release” means a remission by the adult parole authority of the balance of the sentence or prison term of a parolee or prisoner or the termination by the authority of a term of post-release control of a releasee.

(L) “Parole violator” or “release violator” means any parolee or releasee who has been declared to be in violation of the condition of parole or post-release control specified in division (A) or (B) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code or in violation of any other term, condition, or rule of the parolee’s or releasee’s parole or of the parolee’s or releasee’s post-release control sanctions, the determination of which has been made by the adult parole authority and recorded in its official minutes.

(M) “Administrative release” means a termination of jurisdiction over a particular sentence or prison term by the adult parole authority for administrative convenience.

(N) “Post-release control” means a period of supervision by the adult parole authority after a prisoner’s release from imprisonment that includes one or more post-release control sanctions imposed under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

(O) “Post-release control sanction” means a sanction that is authorized under sections 2929.16 to 2929.18 of the Revised Code and that is imposed upon a prisoner upon the prisoner’s release from a prison term.

(P) “Community control sanction,” “prison term,” “mandatory prison term,” and “stated prison term” have the same meanings as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

(Q) “Transitional control” means control of a prisoner under the transitional control program established by the department of rehabilitation and correction under section 2967.26 of the Revised Code, if the department establishes a program of that nature under that section.

(R) “Random drug testing” has the same meaning as in section 5120.63 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 09-22-2000

(A) The adult parole authority created by section 5149.02 of the Revised Code shall administer sections 2967.01 to 2967.28 of the Revised Code, and other sections of the Revised Code governing pardon, community control sanctions, post-release control, and parole.

(B) The governor may grant a pardon after conviction, may grant an absolute and entire pardon or a partial pardon, and may grant a pardon upon conditions precedent or subsequent.

(C) The adult parole authority shall supervise all parolees. The department of rehabilitation and correction has legal custody of a parolee until the authority grants the parolee a final release pursuant to section 2967.16 of the Revised Code.

(D) The department of rehabilitation and correction has legal custody of a releasee until the adult parole authority grants the releasee a final release pursuant to section 2967.16 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004

(A) Chapter 2967. of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to July 1, 1996, applies to a person upon whom a court imposed a term of imprisonment prior to July 1, 1996, and a person upon whom a court, on or after July 1, 1996, and in accordance with law existing prior to July 1, 1996, imposed a term of imprisonment for an offense that was committed prior to July 1, 1996.

(B) Chapter 2967. of the Revised Code, as it exists on and after July 1, 1996, applies to a person upon whom a court imposed a stated prison term for an offense committed on or after July 1, 1996.

Effective Date: 07-01-1996

The adult parole authority may exercise its functions and duties in relation to the pardon, commutation of sentence, or reprieve of a convict upon direction of the governor or upon its own initiative. It may exercise its functions and duties in relation to the parole of a prisoner who is eligible for parole upon the initiative of the head of the institution in which the prisoner is confined or upon its own initiative. When a prisoner becomes eligible for parole, the head of the institution in which the prisoner is confined shall notify the authority in the manner prescribed by the authority. The authority may investigate and examine, or cause the investigation and examination of, prisoners confined in state correctional institutions concerning their conduct in the institutions, their mental and moral qualities and characteristics, their knowledge of a trade or profession, their former means of livelihood, their family relationships, and any other matters affecting their fitness to be at liberty without being a threat to society.

The authority may recommend to the governor the pardon, commutation of sentence, or reprieve of any convict or prisoner or grant a parole to any prisoner for whom parole is authorized, if in its judgment there is reasonable ground to believe that granting a pardon, commutation, or reprieve to the convict or paroling the prisoner would further the interests of justice and be consistent with the welfare and security of society. However, the authority shall not recommend a pardon or commutation of sentence of, or grant a parole to, any convict or prisoner until the authority has complied with the applicable notice requirements of sections 2930.16 and 2967.12 of the Revised Code and until it has considered any statement made by a victim or a victim’s representative that is relevant to the convict’s or prisoner’s case and that was sent to the authority pursuant to section 2930.17 of the Revised Code , any other statement made by a victim or a victim’s representative that is relevant to the convict’s or prisoner’s case and that was received by the authority after it provided notice of the pendency of the action under sections 2930.16 and 2967.12 of the Revised Code, and any written statement of any person submitted to the court pursuant to division (H) of section 2967.12 of the Revised Code. If a victim, victim’s representative, or the victim’s spouse, parent, sibling, or child appears at a full board hearing of the parole board and gives testimony as authorized by section 5149.101 of the Revised Code, the authority shall consider the testimony in determining whether to grant a parole. The trial judge and prosecuting attorney of the trial court in which a person was convicted shall furnish to the authority, at the request of the authority, a summarized statement of the facts proved at the trial and of all other facts having reference to the propriety of recommending a pardon or commutation, or granting a parole, together with a recommendation for or against a pardon, commutation, or parole, and the reasons for the recommendation. The trial judge, the prosecuting attorney, specified law enforcement agency members, and a representative of the prisoner may appear at a full board hearing of the parole board and give testimony in regard to the grant of a parole to the prisoner as authorized by section 5149.101 of the Revised Code. All state and local officials shall furnish information to the authority, when so requested by it in the performance of its duties.

The adult parole authority shall exercise its functions and duties in relation to the release of prisoners who are serving a stated prison term in accordance with section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 07-01-1996; 04-29-2005; 11-23-2005

(A) A pardon or commutation may be granted upon such conditions precedent or subsequent as the governor may impose, which conditions shall be stated in the warrant. Such pardon or commutation shall not take effect until the conditions so imposed are accepted by the convict or prisoner so pardoned or having his sentence commuted, and his acceptance is indorsed upon the warrant, signed by him, and attested by one witness. Such witness shall go before the clerk of the court of common pleas in whose office the sentence is recorded and prove the signature of the convict. The clerk shall thereupon record the warrant, indorsement, and proof in the journal of the court, which record, or a duly certified transcript thereof, shall be evidence of such pardon or commutation, the conditions thereof, and the acceptance of the conditions.

(B) An unconditional pardon relieves the person to whom it is granted of all disabilities arising out of the conviction or convictions from which it is granted. For purposes of this section, “unconditional pardon” includes a conditional pardon with respect to which all conditions have been performed or have transpired.

Effective Date: 01-01-1974

Upon recommendation of the director of rehabilitation and correction, accompanied by a certificate of the attending physician that a prisoner or convict is in imminent danger of death, the governor may order his release as if on parole, reserving the right to return him to the institution pursuant to this section. If, subsequent to his release, his health improves so that he is no longer in imminent danger of death, he shall be returned, by order of the governor, to the institution from which he was released. If he violates any rules or conditions applicable to him, he may be returned to an institution under the control of the department of rehabilitation and correction.

Effective Date: 10-06-1994

Warrants of pardon and commutation shall be issued in triplicate, one to be given to the convict, one to be filed with the clerk of the court of common pleas in whose office the sentence is recorded, and one to be filed with the head of the institution in which the convict was confined, in case he was confined.

All warrants of pardon, whether conditional or otherwise, shall be recorded by said clerk and the officer of the institution with whom such warrants and copies are filed, in a book provided for that purpose, which record shall include the indorsements on such warrants. A copy of such a warrant with all indorsements, certified by said clerk under seal, shall be received in evidence as proof of the facts set forth in such copy with indorsements.

Effective Date: 03-18-1965

All applications for pardon, commutation of sentence, or reprieve shall be made in writing to the adult parole authority. Upon the filing of such application, or when directed by the governor in any case, a thorough investigation into the propriety of granting a pardon, commutation, or reprieve shall be made by the authority, which shall report in writing to the governor a brief statement of the facts in the case, together with the recommendation of the authority for or against the granting of a pardon, commutation, or reprieve, the grounds therefor and the records or minutes relating to the case.

Effective Date: 03-18-1965

The governor may grant a reprieve for a definite time to a person under sentence of death, with or without notices or application.

Effective Date: 03-18-1965

On receiving a warrant of reprieve, the head of the institution, sheriff, or other officer having custody of the person reprieved, shall file it forthwith with the clerk of the court of common pleas in which the sentence is recorded, who shall thereupon record the warrant in the journal of the court.

Effective Date: 03-18-1965

When the governor directs in a warrant of reprieve that the prisoner be confined in a state correctional institution for the time of the reprieve or any part thereof, the sheriff or other officer having the prisoner in custody shall convey him to the state correctional institution in the manner provided for the conveyance of convicts, and the warden shall receive the prisoner and warrant and proceed as the warrant directs. At the expiration of the time specified in the warrant for the confinement of the prisoner in the state correctional institution, the warden shall deal with him according to the sentence as originally imposed, or as modified by executive clemency as shown by a new warrant of pardon, commutation, or reprieve executed by the governor.

Effective Date: 10-06-1994

(A) As used in this section, “violation” means an act that is a criminal offense under the law of this state or the United States, whether or not a person is prosecuted for the commission of the offense.

(B) As part of a prisoner’s sentence, the parole board may punish a violation committed by the prisoner by extending the prisoner’s stated prison term for a period of fifteen, thirty, sixty, or ninety days in accordance with this section. The parole board may not extend a prisoner’s stated prison term for a period longer than one-half of the stated prison term’s duration for all violations occurring during the course of the prisoner’s stated prison term, including violations occurring while the offender is serving extended time under this section or serving a prison term imposed for a failure to meet the conditions of a post-release control sanction imposed under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code. If a prisoner’s stated prison term is extended under this section, the time by which it is so extended shall be referred to as “bad time.”

(C) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall establish a rules infraction board in each state correctional institution. When a prisoner in an institution is alleged by any person to have committed a violation, the institutional investigator or other appropriate official promptly shall investigate the alleged violation and promptly shall report the investigator’s or other appropriate official’s findings to the rules infraction board in that institution. The rules infraction board in that institution shall hold a hearing on the allegation to determine, for purposes of the parole board’s possible extension of the prisoner’s stated prison term under this section, whether there is evidence of a violation. At the hearing, the accused prisoner shall have the right to testify and be assisted by a member of the staff of the institution who is designated pursuant to rules adopted by the department to assist the prisoner in presenting a defense before the board in the hearing. The rules infraction board shall make an audio tape of the hearing. The board shall report its finding to the head of the institution within ten days after the date of the hearing. If the board finds any evidence of a violation, it also shall include with its finding a recommendation regarding a period of time, as specified in division (B) of this section, by which the prisoner’s stated prison term should be extended as a result of the violation. If the board does not so find, the board shall terminate the matter.

(D) Within ten days after receiving from the rules infraction board a finding and a recommendation that the prisoner’s stated prison term be extended, the head of the institution shall review the finding and determine whether the prisoner committed a violation. If the head of the institution determines by clear and convincing evidence that the prisoner committed a violation and concludes that the prisoner’s stated prison term should be extended as a result of the violation, the head of the institution shall report the determination in a finding to the parole board within ten days after making the determination and shall include with the finding a recommendation regarding the length of the extension of the stated prison term. If the head of the institution does not determine by clear and convincing evidence that the prisoner committed the violation or does not conclude that the prisoner’s stated prison term should be extended, the head of the institution shall terminate the matter.

(E) Within thirty days after receiving a report from the head of an institution pursuant to division (D) of this section containing a finding and recommendation, the parole board shall review the findings of the rules infraction board and the head of the institution to determine whether there is clear and convincing evidence that the prisoner committed the violation and, if so, to determine whether the stated prison term should be extended and the length of time by which to extend it. If the parole board determines that there is clear and convincing evidence that the prisoner committed the violation and that the prisoner’s stated prison term should be extended, the board shall consider the nature of the violation, other conduct of the prisoner while in prison, and any other evidence relevant to maintaining order in the institution. After considering these factors, the board shall extend the stated prison term by either fifteen, thirty, sixty, or ninety days for the violation, subject to the maximum extension authorized by division (B) of this section. The board shall act to extend a stated prison term no later than sixty days from the date of the finding by the rules infraction board pursuant to division (C) of this section.

(F) If an accusation of a violation is made within sixty days before the end of a prisoner’s stated prison term, the rules infraction board, head of the institution, and parole board shall attempt to complete the procedures required by divisions (C) to (E) of this section before the prisoner’s stated prison term ends. If necessary, the accused prisoner may be held in the institution for not more than ten days after the end of the prisoner’s stated prison term pending review of the violation and a determination regarding an extension of the stated prison term.

(G) This section does not preclude the department of rehabilitation and correction from referring a criminal offense allegedly committed by a prisoner to the appropriate prosecuting authority or from disciplining a prisoner through the use of disciplinary processes other than the extension of the prisoner’s stated prison term.

(H) Pursuant to section 111.15 of the Revised Code, the department of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules establishing standards and procedures for implementing the requirements of this section and for designating state correctional institution staff members to assist prisoners in hearings conducted under division (C) of this section.

Effective Date: 07-01-1996

(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 or to which the person pleaded guilty, the time of conviction or the guilty plea, 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. The department of rehabilitation and correction, at the same time that it provides the notice to the prosecuting attorney and judge under this division, also shall post on the database it maintains pursuant to section 5120.66 of the Revised Code the offender’s name and all of the information specified in division (A)(1)(c)(iii) of that section.

(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 being considered for parole was convicted of or pleaded guilty to violating section 2903.01 or 2903.02 of the Revised Code, the notice shall inform the victim of that offense, the victim’s representative, or a member of the victim’s immediate family that the victim, the victim’s representative, and the victim’s immediate family have the right to give testimony at a full board hearing of the parole board and that the victim or victim’s representative may contact the office of victims’ services for further information. As used in this division, “the victim’s immediate family” means the mother, father, spouse, sibling, or child of the victim.

(C) When notice of the pendency of any pardon, commutation of sentence, or parole has been given to a judge or prosecutor or posted on the database 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 provide notice of the further consideration of the pardon, commutation, or parole at least ten days before the further consideration. The notice of the further consideration shall be provided to the proper judge and prosecuting attorney by mail at least ten days before the further consideration, and, if the initial notice was posted on the database as provided in division (A) of this section, the notice of the further consideration shall be posted on the database 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), (B)(1)(a), (b), or (c), (B)(2)(a), (b), or (c), or (B)(3)(a), (b), (c), or (d) 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 or posting 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.

(H) In addition to and independent of the right of a victim to make a statement as described in division (A) of this section or pursuant to section 2930.17 of the Revised Code or to otherwise make a statement, the authority for a judge or prosecuting attorney to furnish statements and information, make recommendations, and give testimony as described in division (A) of this section, the right of a prosecuting attorney, judge, or victim to give testimony or submit a statement at a full parole board hearing pursuant to section 5149.101 of the Revised Code, and any other right or duty of a person to present information or make a statement, any person may send to the adult parole authority at any time prior to the authority’s recommending a pardon or commutation or granting a parole for the offender a written statement relative to the offense and the pending action.

Effective Date: 01-01-1997; 04-29-2005; 11-23-2005; 01-02-2007; 2007 SB10 01-01-2008

(A) Subject to division (C) of this section, at least two weeks before any convict who is serving a sentence for committing a felony of the first, second, or third degree is released from confinement in any state correctional institution pursuant to a pardon, commutation of sentence, parole, or completed prison term, the adult parole authority shall send notice of the release to the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the indictment of the convict was found.

(B) The notice required by division (A) of this section may be contained in a weekly list of all felons of the first, second, or third degree who are scheduled for release. The notice shall contain all of the following:

(1) The name of the convict being released;

(2) The date of the convict’s release;

(3) The offense for the violation of which the convict was convicted and incarcerated;

(4) The date of the convict’s conviction pursuant to which the convict was incarcerated;

(5) The sentence imposed for that conviction;

(6) The length of any supervision that the convict will be under;

(7) The name, business address, and business phone number of the convict’s supervising officer;

(8) The address at which the convict will reside.

(C) Divisions (A) and (B) of this section do not apply to the release from confinement of an offender if the offender is serving a prison term imposed under division (A)(3), (B)(1)(a), (b), or (c), (B)(2)(a), (b), or (c), or (B)(3)(a), (b), (c), or (d) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code, if the court pursuant to section 2971.05 of the Revised Code modifies the requirement that the offender serve that entire term in a state correctional institution, and if the release from confinement is pursuant to that modification. In a case of that type, the court that modifies the requirement promptly shall provide written notice of the modification and the order that modifies the requirement or revises the modification to the offender, the department of rehabilitation and correction, the prosecuting attorney, and any state agency or political subdivision that is affected by the order.

Effective Date: 03-23-2000; 01-02-2007; 2007 SB10 01-01-2008

(A) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, a prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for life for an offense committed on or after July 1, 1996, is not entitled to any earned credit under section 2967.193 of the Revised Code and becomes eligible for parole as follows:

(1) If a sentence of imprisonment for life was imposed for the offense of murder, at the expiration of the prisoner’s minimum term;

(2) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty years of imprisonment was imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of twenty years;

(3) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment was imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of twenty-five full years;

(4) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment was imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of thirty full years;

(5) If a sentence of imprisonment for life was imposed for rape, after serving a term of ten full years’ imprisonment;

(6) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving fifteen years of imprisonment was imposed for a violation of section 2927.24 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of fifteen years.

(B) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, a prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty years of imprisonment or a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years or thirty full years of imprisonment imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code for an offense committed on or after July 1, 1996, consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, becomes eligible for parole after serving twenty years, twenty full years, or thirty full years, as applicable, as to each such sentence of life imprisonment, which shall not be reduced for earned credits under section 2967.193 of the Revised Code, plus the term or terms of the other sentences consecutively imposed or, if one of the other sentences is another type of life sentence with parole eligibility, the number of years before parole eligibility for that sentence.

(C) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, a prisoner serving consecutively two or more sentences in which an indefinite term of imprisonment is imposed becomes eligible for parole upon the expiration of the aggregate of the minimum terms of the sentences.

(D) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, a prisoner serving a term of imprisonment who is described in division (A) of section 2967.021 of the Revised Code becomes eligible for parole as described in that division or, if the prisoner is serving a definite term of imprisonment, shall be released as described in that division.

(E) A prisoner serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2907.02 or section 2929.03 or 2929.06 of the Revised Code is not eligible for parole and shall be imprisoned until death.

(F) A prisoner serving a stated prison term shall be released in accordance with section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

(G) A prisoner serving a prison term or term of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code never becomes eligible for parole during that term of imprisonment.

Effective Date: 06-13-2002

(A) In addition to any other terms and conditions of a conditional pardon or parole, of transitional control, or of another form of authorized release from confinement in a state correctional institution that is granted to an individual and that involves the placement of the individual under the supervision of the adult parole authority, and in addition to any other sanctions of post-release control of a felon imposed under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code, the authority or, in the case of a conditional pardon, the governor shall include in the terms and conditions of the conditional pardon, parole, transitional control, or other form of authorized release or shall include as conditions of the post-release control the conditions that the individual or felon not leave the state without permission of the court or the individual’s or felon’s parole or probation officer and that the individual or felon abide by the law during the period of the individual’s or felon’s conditional pardon, parole, transitional control, other form of authorized release, or post-release control.

(B)(1) The department of rehabilitation and correction, as a condition of parole or post-release control, may require that the individual or felon shall not ingest or be injected with a drug of abuse and shall submit to random drug testing as provided in divisions (B)(2), (3), and (4) of this section and that the results of the drug test indicate that the individual or felon did not ingest or was not injected with a drug of abuse.

(2) If the adult parole authority has general control and supervision of an individual or felon who is required to submit to random drug testing as a condition of parole or post-release control under division (B)(1) of this section, the authority may cause the individual or felon to submit to random drug testing performed by a laboratory or entity that has entered into a contract with any of the governmental entities or officers authorized to enter into a contract with that laboratory or entity under section 341.26, 753.33, or 5120.63 of the Revised Code.

(3) If no laboratory or entity described in division (B)(2) of this section has entered into a contract as specified in that division, the adult parole authority shall cause the individual or felon to submit to random drug testing performed by a reputable public laboratory to determine whether the individual or felon who is the subject of the drug test ingested or was injected with a drug of abuse.

(4) If a laboratory or entity has entered into a contract with a governmental entity or officer as specified in division (B)(2) of this section, the laboratory or entity shall perform the random drug testing under division (B)(2) of this section in accordance with the applicable standards that are included in the terms of that contract. A public laboratory shall perform the random drug tests under division (B)(3) of this section in accordance with the standards set forth in the policies and procedures established by the department of rehabilitation and correction pursuant to section 5120.63 of the Revised Code. An individual or felon who is required under division (B)(1) of this section to submit to random drug testing as a condition of parole or post-release control and whose test results indicate that the individual or felon ingested or was injected with a drug of abuse shall pay the fee for the drug test if the adult parole authority requires payment of a fee. A laboratory or entity that performs the random drug testing on a parolee or releasee under division (B)(2) or (3) of this section shall transmit the results of the drug test to the adult parole authority.

(C) During the period of a conditional pardon or parole, of transitional control, or of another form of authorized release from confinement in a state correctional institution that is granted to an individual and that involves the placement of the individual under the supervision of the adult parole authority, and during a period of post-release control of a felon imposed under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code, authorized field officers of the authority who are engaged within the scope of their supervisory duties or responsibilities may search, with or without a warrant, the person of the individual or felon, the place of residence of the individual or felon, and a motor vehicle, another item of tangible or intangible personal property, or other real property in which the individual or felon has a right, title, or interest or for which the individual or felon has the express or implied permission of a person with a right, title, or interest to use, occupy, or possess, if the field officers have reasonable grounds to believe that the individual or felon has left the state, is not abiding by the law, or otherwise is not complying with the terms and conditions of the individual’s or felon’s conditional pardon, parole, transitional control, other form of authorized release, or post-release control. The authority shall provide each individual who is granted a conditional pardon or parole, transitional control, or another form of authorized release from confinement in a state correctional institution and each felon who is under post-release control with a written notice that informs the individual or felon that authorized field officers of the authority who are engaged within the scope of their supervisory duties or responsibilities may conduct those types of searches during the period of the conditional pardon, parole, transitional control, other form of authorized release, or post-release control if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the individual or felon has left the state, is not abiding by the law, or otherwise is not complying with the terms and conditions of the individual’s or felon’s conditional pardon, parole, transitional control, other form of authorized release, or post-release control.

Effective Date: 09-22-2000

(A) The adult parole authority may require a parolee or releasee to reside in a halfway house or other suitable community residential center that has been licensed by the division of parole and community services pursuant to division (C) of this section during a part or for the entire period of the parolee’s conditional release or of the releasee’s term of post-release control. The court of common pleas that placed an offender under a sanction consisting of a term in a halfway house or in an alternative residential sanction may require the offender to reside in a halfway house or other suitable community residential center that is designated by the court and that has been licensed by the division pursuant to division (C) of this section during a part or for the entire period of the offender’s residential sanction.

(B) The division of parole and community services may negotiate and enter into agreements with any public or private agency or a department or political subdivision of the state that operates a halfway house or community residential center that has been licensed by the division pursuant to division (C) of this section. An agreement under this division shall provide for the purchase of beds, shall set limits of supervision and levels of occupancy, and shall determine the scope of services for all eligible offenders, including those subject to a residential sanction, as defined in rules adopted by the director of rehabilitation and correction in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. The payments for beds and services shall be equal to the halfway house’s or community residential center’s average daily per capita costs with its facility at full occupancy. The payments for beds and services shall not exceed the total operating costs of the halfway house or community residential center during the term of an agreement. The director of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for determining includable and excludable costs and income to be used in computing the agency’s average daily per capita costs with its facility at full occupancy.

The department of rehabilitation and correction may use no more than ten per cent of the amount appropriated to the department each fiscal year for the halfway house and community residential center program to pay for contracts for nonresidential services for offenders under the supervision of the adult parole authority. The nonresidential services may include, but are not limited to, treatment for substance abuse, mental health counseling, and counseling for sex offenders.

(C) The division of parole and community services may license a halfway house or community residential center as a suitable facility for the care and treatment of adult offenders, including offenders sentenced under section 2929.16 or 2929.26 of the Revised Code, only if the halfway house or community residential center complies with the standards that the division adopts in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the licensure of halfway houses and community residential centers. The division shall annually inspect each licensed halfway house and licensed community residential center to determine if it is in compliance with the licensure standards.

Effective Date: 12-23-2003

(A) As used in this section, “alternative residential facility” has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) The department of rehabilitation and correction, through its division of parole and community services, may operate or contract for the operation of one or more violation sanction centers as an alternative residential facility. A violation sanction center operated under authority of this division is not a prison within the meaning of division (BB) of section 2929.01 of the Revised Code. A violation sanction center operated under authority of this division may be used for either of the following purposes:

(1) Service of the term of a more restrictive post-release control sanction that the parole board, subsequent to a hearing, imposes pursuant to division (F)(2) of section 2967.28 of the Revised Code upon a releasee who has violated a post-release control sanction imposed upon the releasee under that section;

(2) Service of a sanction that the adult parole authority or parole board imposes upon a parolee whom the authority determines to be a parole violator because of a violation of the terms and conditions of the parolee’s parole or conditional pardon.

(C) If a violation sanction center is established under the authority of this section, notwithstanding the fact that the center is an alternative residential facility for the purposes described in division (B) of this section, the center shall be used only for the purposes described in that division. A violation sanction center established under the authority of this section is not an alternative residential facility for the purpose of imposing sentence on an offender who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony, and a court that is sentencing an offender for a felony pursuant to sections 2929.11 to 2929.19 of the Revised Code shall not sentence the offender to a community residential sanction that requires the offender to serve a term in the center.

(D) If a releasee is ordered to serve a sanction in a violation sanction center, as described in division (B)(1) of this section, all of the following apply:

(1) The releasee shall not be considered to be under a new prison term for a violation of post-release control.

(2) The time the releasee serves in the center shall not count toward, and shall not be considered in determining, the maximum cumulative prison term for all violations that is described in division (F)(3) of section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

(3) The time the releasee serves in the center shall count as part of, and shall be credited toward, the remaining period of post-release control that is applicable to the releasee.

Effective Date: 03-23-2000

(A) If an adult parole authority field officer has reasonable cause to believe that a person who is a parolee or releasee, who is under transitional control, or who is under another form of authorized release and who is under the supervision of the adult parole authority has violated or is violating the condition of a conditional pardon, parole, other form of authorized release, transitional control, or post-release control specified in division (A) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code or any other term or condition of the person’s conditional pardon, parole, other form of authorized release, transitional control, or post-release control, the field officer may arrest the person without a warrant or order a peace officer to arrest the person without a warrant. A person so arrested shall be confined in the jail of the county in which the person is arrested or in another facility designated by the chief of the adult parole authority until a determination is made regarding the person’s release status. Upon making an arrest under this section, the arresting or supervising adult parole authority field officer promptly shall notify the superintendent of parole supervision or the superintendent’s designee, in writing, that the person has been arrested and is in custody and submit an appropriate report of the reason for the arrest.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this division, prior to the revocation by the adult parole authority of a person’s pardon, parole, transitional control, or other release and prior to the imposition by the parole board or adult parole authority of a new prison term as a post-release control sanction for a person, the adult parole authority shall grant the person a hearing in accordance with rules adopted by the department of rehabilitation and correction under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. The adult parole authority is not required to grant the person a hearing if the person is convicted of or pleads guilty to an offense that the person committed while released on a pardon, on parole, transitional control, or another form of release, or on post-release control and upon which the revocation of the person’s pardon, parole, transitional control, other release, or post-release control is based.

If a person who has been pardoned is found to be a violator of the conditions of the parolee’s conditional pardon or commutation of sentence, the authority forthwith shall transmit to the governor its recommendation concerning that violation, and the violator shall be retained in custody until the governor issues an order concerning that violation.

If the authority fails to make a determination of the case of a parolee or releasee alleged to be a violator of the terms and conditions of the parolee’s or releasee’s conditional pardon, parole, other release, or post-release control sanctions within a reasonable time, the parolee or releasee shall be released from custody under the same terms and conditions of the parolee’s or releasee’s original conditional pardon, parole, other release, or post-release control sanctions.

(C)(1) If a person who is a parolee or releasee, who is under transitional control, or who is under another form of authorized release under the supervision of the adult parole authority absconds from supervision, the supervising adult parole authority field officer shall report that fact to the superintendent of parole supervision, in writing, and the authority shall declare that person to be a violator at large. Upon being advised of the apprehension and availability for return of a violator at large, the superintendent of parole supervision shall determine whether the violator at large should be restored to parole, transitional control, another form of authorized release, or post-release control.

The time between the date on which a person who is a parolee or other releasee is declared to be a violator or violator at large and the date on which that person is returned to custody in this state under the immediate control of the adult parole authority shall not be counted as time served under the sentence imposed on that person or as a part of the term of post-release control.

(2) A person who is under transitional control or who is under any form of authorized release under the supervision of the adult parole authority is considered to be in custody while under the transitional control or on release, and, if the person absconds from supervision, the person may be prosecuted for the offense of escape.

(D) A person who is a parolee or releasee, who is under transitional control, or who is under another form of authorized release under the supervision of the adult parole authority and who has violated a term or condition of the person’s conditional pardon, parole, transitional control, other form of authorized release, or post-release control shall be declared to be a violator if the person is committed to a correctional institution outside the state to serve a sentence imposed upon the person by a federal court or a court of another state or if the person otherwise leaves the state.

(E) As used in this section, “peace officer” has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 03-17-1998

(A) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, when a paroled prisoner has faithfully performed the conditions and obligations of the paroled prisoner’s parole and has obeyed the rules and regulations adopted by the adult parole authority that apply to the paroled prisoner, the authority upon the recommendation of the superintendent of parole supervision may enter upon its minutes a final release and thereupon shall issue to the paroled prisoner a certificate of final release, but the authority shall not grant a final release earlier than one year after the paroled prisoner is released from the institution on parole, and, in the case of a paroled prisoner whose minimum sentence is life imprisonment, the authority shall not grant a final release earlier than five years after the paroled prisoner is released from the institution on parole.

(B)(1) When a prisoner who has been released under a period of post-release control pursuant to section 2967.28 of the Revised Code has faithfully performed the conditions and obligations of the released prisoner’s post-release control sanctions and has obeyed the rules and regulations adopted by the adult parole authority that apply to the released prisoner or has the period of post-release control terminated by a court pursuant to section 2929.141 of the Revised Code, the authority, upon the recommendation of the superintendent of parole supervision, may enter upon its minutes a final release and, upon the entry of the final release, shall issue to the released prisoner a certificate of final release. In the case of a prisoner who has been released under a period of post-release control pursuant to division (B) of section 2967.28 of the Revised Code, the authority shall not grant a final release earlier than one year after the released prisoner is released from the institution under a period of post-release control. The authority shall classify the termination of post-release control as favorable or unfavorable depending on the offender’s conduct and compliance with the conditions of supervision. In the case of a released prisoner whose sentence is life imprisonment, the authority shall not grant a final release earlier than five years after the released prisoner is released from the institution under a period of post-release control.

(2) The department of rehabilitation and correction, no later than six months after the effective date of this section shall adopt a rule in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that establishes the criteria for the classification of a post-release control termination as “favorable” or “unfavorable.”

(C) The following prisoners or person shall be restored to the rights and privileges forfeited by a conviction:

(1) A prisoner who has served the entire prison term that comprises or is part of the prisoner’s sentence and has not been placed under any post-release control sanctions;

(2) A prisoner who has been granted a final release by the adult parole authority pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section;

(3) A person who has completed the period of a community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions, as defined in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code, that was imposed by the sentencing court.

(D) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a prisoner in the shock incarceration program established pursuant to section 5120.031 of the Revised Code.

(E) The adult parole authority shall record the final release of a parolee or prisoner in the official minutes of the authority.

Effective Date: 07-08-2002

(A) The adult parole authority, in its discretion, may grant an administrative release to any of the following:

(1) A parole violator or release violator serving another felony sentence in a correctional institution within or without this state for the purpose of consolidation of the records or if justice would best be served;

(2) A parole violator at large or release violator at large whose case has been inactive for at least ten years following the date of declaration of the parole violation or the violation of a post-release control sanction;

(3) A parolee taken into custody by the immigration and naturalization service of the United States department of justice and deported from the United States.

(B) The adult parole authority shall not grant an administrative release except upon the concurrence of a majority of the parole board and approval of the chief of the adult parole authority. An administrative release does not restore for the person to whom it is granted the rights and privileges forfeited by conviction as provided in section 2961.01 of the Revised Code. Any person granted an administrative release under this section may subsequently apply for a commutation of sentence for the purpose of regaining the rights and privileges forfeited by conviction, except that the privilege of circulating or serving as a witness for the signing of any declaration of candidacy and petition, voter registration application, or nominating, initiative, referendum, or recall petition forfeited under section 2961.01 of the Revised Code may not be restored under this section.

Effective Date: 07-01-1996; 05-02-2006

(A) Whenever the director of rehabilitation and correction determines that the total population of the state correctional institutions for males and females, the total population of the state correctional institutions for males, or the total population of the state correctional institutions for females exceeds the capacity of those institutions and that an overcrowding emergency exists, the director shall notify the correctional institution inspection committee of the emergency and provide the committee with information in support of the director’s determination. The director shall not notify the committee that an overcrowding emergency exists unless the director determines that no other reasonable method is available to resolve the overcrowding emergency.

(B) On receipt of the notice given pursuant to division (A) of this section, the correctional institution inspection committee promptly shall review the determination of the director of rehabilitation and correction. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code or the Administrative Code that governs the lengths of criminal sentences, sets forth the time within which a prisoner is eligible for parole or within which a prisoner may apply for release, or regulates the procedure for granting parole or release to prisoners confined in state correctional institutions, the committee may recommend to the governor that the prison terms of eligible male, female, or all prisoners, as determined under division (E) of this section, be reduced by thirty, sixty, or ninety days, in the manner prescribed in that division.

(C) If the correctional institution inspection committee disagrees with the determination of the director of rehabilitation and correction that an overcrowding emergency exists, if the committee finds that an overcrowding emergency exists but does not make a recommendation pursuant to division (B) of this section, or if the committee does not make a finding or a recommendation pursuant to that division within thirty days of receipt of the notice given pursuant to division (A) of this section, the director may recommend to the governor that the action set forth in division (B) of this section be taken.

(D) Upon receipt of a recommendation from the correctional institution inspection committee or the director of rehabilitation and correction made pursuant to this section, the governor may declare in writing that an overcrowding emergency exists in all of the institutions within the control of the department in which men are confined, in which women are confined, or both. The declaration shall state that the adult parole authority shall take the action set forth in division (B) of this section. After the governor makes the declaration, the director shall file a copy of it with the secretary of state, and the copy is a public record.

The department may begin to implement the declaration of the governor made pursuant to this section on the date that it is filed with the secretary of state. The department shall begin to implement the declaration within thirty days after the date of filing. The declaration shall be implemented in accordance with division (E) of this section.

(E)(1) No reduction of sentence pursuant to division (B) of this section shall be granted to any of the following:

(a) A person who is serving a term of imprisonment for aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, kidnapping, rape, aggravated arson, aggravated robbery, or any other offense punishable by life imprisonment or by an indefinite term of a specified number of years to life, or for conspiracy in, complicity in, or attempt to commit any of those offenses;

(b) A person who is serving a term of imprisonment for any felony other than carrying a concealed weapon that was committed while the person had a firearm, as defined in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code, on or about the offender’s person or under the offender’s control;

(c) A person who is serving a term of imprisonment for a violation of section 2925.03 of the Revised Code;

(d) A person who is serving a term of imprisonment for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity;

(e) A person who is serving a prison term or term of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code;

(f) A person who was denied parole or release pursuant to section 2929.20 of the Revised Code during the term of imprisonment the person currently is serving.

(2) A declaration of the governor that requires the adult parole authority to take the action set forth in division (B) of this section shall be implemented only by reducing the prison terms of prisoners who are not in any of the categories set forth in division (E)(1) of this section, and only by granting reductions of prison terms in the following order:

(a) Under any such declaration, prison terms initially shall be reduced only for persons who are not in any of the categories set forth in division (E)(1) of this section and who are not serving a term of imprisonment for any of the following offenses:

(i) An offense of violence that is a felony of the first, second, or third degree or that, under the law in existence prior to the effective date of this amendment, was an aggravated felony of the first, second, or third degree or a felony of the first or second degree;

(ii) An offense set forth in Chapter 2925. of the Revised Code that is a felony of the first or second degree.

(b) If every person serving a term of imprisonment at the time of the implementation of any such declaration who is in the class of persons eligible for the initial reduction of prison terms, as described in division (E)(2)(a) of this section, has received a total of ninety days of term reduction for each three years of imprisonment actually served, then prison terms may be reduced for all other persons serving a term of imprisonment at that time who are not in any of the categories set forth in division (E)(1) of this section.

(F) An offender who is released from a state correctional institution pursuant to this section is subject to post-release control sanctions imposed by the adult parole authority as if the offender was a prisoner described in division (B) of section 2967.28 of the Revised Code who was being released from imprisonment.

(G) If more than one overcrowding emergency is declared while a prisoner is serving a prison term, the total term reduction for that prisoner as the result of multiple declarations shall not exceed ninety days for each three years of imprisonment actually served.

Effective Date: 01-01-1997

Effective Date: 07-01-1996

The department of rehabilitation and correction shall reduce the stated prison term of a prisoner or, if the prisoner is serving a term for which there is parole eligibility, the minimum and maximum term or the parole eligibility date of the prisoner by the total number of days that the prisoner was confined for any reason arising out of the offense for which the prisoner was convicted and sentenced, including confinement in lieu of bail while awaiting trial, confinement for examination to determine the prisoner’s competence to stand trial or sanity, and confinement while awaiting transportation to the place where the prisoner is to serve the prisoner’s prison term.

Effective Date: 03-17-1998

Effective Date: 07-01-1996

(A) Except as provided in division (C) of this section or in section 2929.13, 2929.14, or 2967.13 of the Revised Code, a person confined in a state correctional institution may earn one day of credit as a deduction from the person’s stated prison term for each full month during which the person productively participates in an education program, vocational training, employment in prison industries, treatment for substance abuse, treatment as a sex offender, or any other constructive program developed by the department with specific standards for performance by prisoners. At the end of each calendar month in which a prisoner productively participates in a program or activity listed in this division, the department of rehabilitation and correction shall deduct one day from the date on which the prisoner’s stated prison term will expire. If the prisoner violates prison rules, the department may deny the prisoner a credit that otherwise could have been awarded to the prisoner or may withdraw one or more credits previously earned by the prisoner.

If a prisoner is released before the expiration of the prisoner’s stated prison term by reason of credit earned under this section, the department shall retain control of the prisoner by means of an appropriate post-release control sanction imposed by the parole board until the end of the stated prison term if the parole board imposes a post-release control sanction pursuant to section 2967.28 of the Revised Code. If the parole board is not required to impose a post-release control sanction under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code, the parole board may elect not to impose a post-release control sanction on the prisoner.

(B) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules that specify the programs or activities for which credit may be earned under this section, the criteria for determining productive participation in the programs or activities and for awarding credit, and the criteria for denying or withdrawing previously earned credit as a result of a violation of prison rules.

(C) No person who is serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2929.03 or 2929.06 of the Revised Code or who is serving a prison term or a term of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code shall be awarded any days of credit under division (A) of this section.

Effective Date: 01-01-1997

Effective Date: 10-06-1994

Any prisoner sentenced or committed to a state correctional institution may be transferred from that institution to another state correctional institution, but the prisoner shall continue to be subject to the same conditions as to the stated prison term, parole, and release as if the prisoner were confined in the institution to which the prisoner originally was sentenced or committed.

Effective Date: 07-01-1996

Whenever it is brought to the attention of the adult parole authority or a department of probation that a parolee, person under a community control sanction, person under transitional control, or releasee appears to be a mentally ill person subject to hospitalization by court order, as defined in section 5122.01 of the Revised Code, or a mentally retarded person subject to institutionalization by court order, as defined in section 5123.01 of the Revised Code, the parole or probation officer, subject to the approval of the chief of the adult parole authority, the designee of the chief of the adult parole authority, or the chief probation officer, may file an affidavit under section 5122.11 or 5123.71 of the Revised Code. A parolee, person under a community control sanction, or releasee who is involuntarily detained under Chapter 5122. or 5123. of the Revised Code shall receive credit against the period of parole or community control or the term of post-release control for the period of involuntary detention.

If a parolee, person under a community control sanction, person under transitional control, or releasee escapes from an institution or facility within the department of mental health or the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, the superintendent of the institution immediately shall notify the chief of the adult parole authority or the chief probation officer. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5122.26 of the Revised Code, the procedure for the apprehension, detention, and return of the parolee, person under a community control sanction, person under transitional control, or releasee is the same as that provided for the apprehension, detention, and return of persons who escape from institutions operated by the department of rehabilitation and correction. If the escaped parolee, person under transitional control, or releasee is not apprehended and returned to the custody of the department of mental health or the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities within ninety days after the escape, the parolee, person under transitional control, or releasee shall be discharged from the custody of the department of mental health or the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities and returned to the custody of the department of rehabilitation and correction. If the escaped person under a community control sanction is not apprehended and returned to the custody of the department of mental health or the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities within ninety days after the escape, the person under a community control sanction shall be discharged from the custody of the department of mental health or the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities and returned to the custody of the court that sentenced that person.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004

Effective Date: 03-17-1998

Effective Date: 07-01-1996

(A)(1) The department of rehabilitation and correction, by rule, may establish a transitional control program for the purpose of closely monitoring a prisoner’s adjustment to community supervision during the final one hundred eighty days of the prisoner’s confinement. If the department establishes a transitional control program under this division, the adult parole authority may transfer eligible prisoners to transitional control status under the program during the final one hundred eighty days of their confinement and under the terms and conditions established by the department, shall provide for the confinement as provided in this division of each eligible prisoner so transferred, and shall supervise each eligible prisoner so transferred in one or more community control sanctions. Each eligible prisoner who is transferred to transitional control status under the program shall be confined in a suitable facility that is licensed pursuant to division (C) of section 2967.14 of the Revised Code, or shall be confined in a residence the department has approved for this purpose and be monitored pursuant to an electronic monitoring device, as defined in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code. If the department establishes a transitional control program under this division, the rules establishing the program shall include criteria that define which prisoners are eligible for the program, criteria that must be satisfied to be approved as a residence that may be used for confinement under the program of a prisoner that is transferred to it and procedures for the department to approve residences that satisfy those criteria, and provisions of the type described in division (C) of this section. At a minimum, the criteria that define which prisoners are eligible for the program shall provide all of the following:

(a) That a prisoner is eligible for the program if the prisoner is serving a prison term or term of imprisonment for an offense committed prior to March 17, 1998, and if, at the time at which eligibility is being determined, the prisoner would have been eligible for a furlough under this section as it existed immediately prior to March 17, 1998, or would have been eligible for conditional release under former section 2967.23 of the Revised Code as that section existed immediately prior to March 17, 1998;

(b) That no prisoner who is serving a mandatory prison term is eligible for the program until after expiration of the mandatory term;

(c) That no prisoner who is serving a prison term or term of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code is eligible for the program.

(2) At least three weeks prior to transferring to transitional control under this section a prisoner who is serving a term of imprisonment or prison term for an offense committed on or after July 1, 1996, the adult parole authority shall give notice of the pendency of the transfer to transitional control to the court of common pleas of the county in which the indictment against the prisoner was found and of the fact that the court may disapprove the transfer of the prisoner to transitional control and shall include a report prepared by the head of the state correctional institution in which the prisoner is confined. The head of the state correctional institution in which the prisoner is confined, upon the request of the adult parole authority, shall provide to the authority for inclusion in the notice sent to the court under this division a report on the prisoner’s conduct in the institution and in any institution from which the prisoner may have been transferred. The report shall cover the prisoner’s participation in school, vocational training, work, treatment, and other rehabilitative activities and any disciplinary action taken against the prisoner. If the court disapproves of the transfer of the prisoner to transitional control, the court shall notify the authority of the disapproval within thirty days after receipt of the notice. If the court timely disapproves the transfer of the prisoner to transitional control, the authority shall not proceed with the transfer. If the court does not timely disapprove the transfer of the prisoner to transitional control, the authority may transfer the prisoner to transitional control.

(3) If the victim of an offense for which a prisoner was sentenced to a prison term or term of imprisonment has requested notification under section 2930.16 of the Revised Code and has provided the department of rehabilitation and correction with the victim’s name and address, the adult parole authority, at least three weeks prior to transferring the prisoner to transitional control pursuant to this section, shall notify the victim of the pendency of the transfer and of the victim’s right to submit a statement to the authority regarding the impact of the transfer of the prisoner to transitional control. If the victim subsequently submits a statement of that nature to the authority, the authority shall consider the statement in deciding whether to transfer the prisoner to transitional control.

(4) The department of rehabilitation and correction, at least three weeks prior to a hearing to transfer the prisoner to transitional control pursuant to this section, shall post on the database it maintains pursuant to section 5120.66 of the Revised Code the prisoner’s name and all of the information specified in division (A)(1)(c)(iv) of that section. In addition to and independent of the right of a victim to submit a statement as described in division (A)(3) of this section or to otherwise make a statement and in addition to and independent of any other right or duty of a person to present information or make a statement, any person may send to the adult parole authority at any time prior to the authority’s transfer of the prisoner to transitional control a written statement regarding the transfer of the prisoner to transitional control. In addition to the information, reports, and statements it considers under divisions (A)(2) and (3) of this section or that it otherwise considers, the authority shall consider each statement submitted in accordance with this division in deciding whether to transfer the prisoner to transitional control.

(B) Each prisoner transferred to transitional control under this section shall be confined in the manner described in division (A) of this section during any period of time that the prisoner is not actually working at the prisoner’s approved employment, engaged in a vocational training or another educational program, engaged in another program designated by the director, or engaged in other activities approved by the department.

(C) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules for transferring eligible prisoners to transitional control, supervising and confining prisoners so transferred, administering the transitional control program in accordance with this section, and using the moneys deposited into the transitional control fund established under division (E) of this section.

(D) The department of rehabilitation and correction may adopt rules for the issuance of passes for the limited purposes described in this division to prisoners who are transferred to transitional control under this section. If the department adopts rules of that nature, the rules shall govern the granting of the passes and shall provide for the supervision of prisoners who are temporarily released pursuant to one of those passes. Upon the adoption of rules under this division, the department may issue passes to prisoners who are transferred to transitional control status under this section in accordance with the rules and the provisions of this division. All passes issued under this division shall be for a maximum of forty-eight hours and may be issued only for the following purposes:

(1) To visit a relative in imminent danger of death;

(2) To have a private viewing of the body of a deceased relative;

(3) To visit with family;

(4) To otherwise aid in the rehabilitation of the prisoner.

(E) The adult parole authority may require a prisoner who is transferred to transitional control to pay to the division of parole and community services the reasonable expenses incurred by the division in supervising or confining the prisoner while under transitional control. Inability to pay those reasonable expenses shall not be grounds for refusing to transfer an otherwise eligible prisoner to transitional control. Amounts received by the division of parole and community services under this division shall be deposited into the transitional control fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury and which hereby replaces and succeeds the furlough services fund that formerly existed in the state treasury. All moneys that remain in the furlough services fund on March 17, 1998, shall be transferred on that date to the transitional control fund. The transitional control fund shall be used solely to pay costs related to the operation of the transitional control program established under this section. The director of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code for the use of the fund.

(F) A prisoner who violates any rule established by the department of rehabilitation and correction under division (A), (C), or (D) of this section may be transferred to a state correctional institution pursuant to rules adopted under division (A), (C), or (D) of this section, but the prisoner shall receive credit towards completing the prisoner’s sentence for the time spent under transitional control.

If a prisoner is transferred to transitional control under this section, upon successful completion of the period of transitional control, the prisoner may be released on parole or under post-release control pursuant to section 2967.13 or 2967.28 of the Revised Code and rules adopted by the department of rehabilitation and correction. If the prisoner is released under post-release control, the duration of the post-release control, the type of post-release control sanctions that may be imposed, the enforcement of the sanctions, and the treatment of prisoners who violate any sanction applicable to the prisoner are governed by section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004; 11-23-2005

(A)(1) The department of rehabilitation and correction may grant escorted visits to prisoners confined in any state correctional facility for the limited purpose of visiting a relative in imminent danger of death or having a private viewing of the body of a deceased relative.

(2) Prior to granting any prisoner an escorted visit for the limited purpose of visiting a relative in imminent danger of death or having a private viewing of the body of a deceased relative under this section, the department shall notify its office of victims’ services so that the office may provide assistance to any victim or victims of the offense committed by the prisoner and to members of the family of the victim.

(B) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules for the granting of escorted visits under this section and for supervising prisoners on an escorted visit.

(C) No prisoner shall be granted an escorted visit under this section if the prisoner is likely to pose a threat to the public safety or has a record of more than two felony commitments (including the present charge), not more than one of which may be for a crime of an assaultive nature.

(D) The procedure for granting an escorted visit under this section is separate from, and independent of, the transitional control program described in section 2967.26 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003

(A) As used in this section:

(1) “Monitored time” means the monitored time sanction specified in section 2929.17 of the Revised Code.

(2) “Deadly weapon” and “dangerous ordnance” have the same meanings as in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code.

(3) “Felony sex offense” means a violation of a section contained in Chapter 2907. of the Revised Code that is a felony.

(B) Each sentence to a prison term for a felony of the first degree, for a felony of the second degree, for a felony sex offense, or for a felony of the third degree that is not a felony sex offense and in the commission of which the offender caused or threatened to cause physical harm to a person shall include a requirement that the offender be subject to a period of post-release control imposed by the parole board after the offender’s release from imprisonment. If a court imposes a sentence including a prison term of a type described in this division on or after the effective date of this amendment, the failure of a sentencing court to notify the offender pursuant to division (B)(3)(c) of section 2929.19 of the Revised Code of this requirement or to include in the judgment of conviction entered on the journal a statement that the offender’s sentence includes this requirement does not negate, limit, or otherwise affect the mandatory period of supervision that is required for the offender under this division. Section 2929.191 of the Revised Code applies if, prior to the effective date of this amendment, a court imposed a sentence including a prison term of a type described in this division and failed to notify the offender pursuant to division (B)(3)(c) of section 2929.19 of the Revised Code regarding post-release control or to include in the judgment of conviction entered on the journal or in the sentence pursuant to division (F)(1) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code a statement regarding post-release control. Unless reduced by the parole board pursuant to division (D) of this section when authorized under that division, a period of post-release control required by this division for an offender shall be of one of the following periods:

(1) For a felony of the first degree or for a felony sex offense, five years;

(2) For a felony of the second degree that is not a felony sex offense, three years;

(3) For a felony of the third degree that is not a felony sex offense and in the commission of which the offender caused or threatened physical harm to a person, three years.

(C) Any sentence to a prison term for a felony of the third, fourth, or fifth degree that is not subject to division (B)(1) or (3) of this section shall include a requirement that the offender be subject to a period of post-release control of up to three years after the offender’s release from imprisonment, if the parole board, in accordance with division (D) of this section, determines that a period of post-release control is necessary for that offender. Section 2929.191 of the Revised Code applies if, prior to the effective date of this amendment, a court imposed a sentence including a prison term of a type described in this division and failed to notify the offender pursuant to division (B)(3)(d) of section 2929.19 of the Revised Code regarding post-release control or to include in the judgment of conviction entered on the journal or in the sentence pursuant to division (F)(2) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code a statement regarding post-release control.

(D)(1) Before the prisoner is released from imprisonment, the parole board shall impose upon a prisoner described in division (B) of this section, may impose upon a prisoner described in division (C) of this section, and shall impose upon a prisoner described in division (B)(2)(b) of section 5120.031 or in division (B)(1) of section 5120.032 of the Revised Code, one or more post-release control sanctions to apply during the prisoner’s period of post-release control. Whenever the board imposes one or more post-release control sanctions upon a prisoner, the board, in addition to imposing the sanctions, also shall include as a condition of the post-release control that the individual or felon not leave the state without permission of the court or the individual’s or felon’s parole or probation officer and that the individual or felon abide by the law. The board may impose any other conditions of release under a post-release control sanction that the board considers appropriate, and the conditions of release may include any community residential sanction, community nonresidential sanction, or financial sanction that the sentencing court was authorized to impose pursuant to sections 2929.16, 2929.17, and 2929.18 of the Revised Code. Prior to the release of a prisoner for whom it will impose one or more post-release control sanctions under this division, the parole board shall review the prisoner’s criminal history, all juvenile court adjudications finding the prisoner, while a juvenile, to be a delinquent child, and the record of the prisoner’s conduct while imprisoned. The parole board shall consider any recommendation regarding post-release control sanctions for the prisoner made by the office of victims’ services. After considering those materials, the board shall determine, for a prisoner described in division (B) of this section, division (B)(2)(b) of section 5120.031, or division (B)(1) of section 5120.032 of the Revised Code, which post-release control sanction or combination of post-release control sanctions is reasonable under the circumstances or, for a prisoner described in division (C) of this section, whether a post-release control sanction is necessary and, if so, which post-release control sanction or combination of post-release control sanctions is reasonable under the circumstances. In the case of a prisoner convicted of a felony of the fourth or fifth degree other than a felony sex offense, the board shall presume that monitored time is the appropriate post-release control sanction unless the board determines that a more restrictive sanction is warranted. A post-release control sanction imposed under this division takes effect upon the prisoner’s release from imprisonment.

Regardless of whether the prisoner was sentenced to the prison term prior to, on, or after the effective date of this amendment, prior to the release of a prisoner for whom it will impose one or more post-release control sanctions under this division, the parole board shall notify the prisoner that, if the prisoner violates any sanction so imposed or any condition of post-release control described in division (B) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code that is imposed on the prisoner, the parole board may impose a prison term of up to one-half of the stated prison term originally imposed upon the prisoner.

(2) At any time after a prisoner is released from imprisonment and during the period of post-release control applicable to the releasee, the adult parole authority may review the releasee’s behavior under the post-release control sanctions imposed upon the releasee under this section. The authority may determine, based upon the review and in accordance with the standards established under division (E) of this section, that a more restrictive or a less restrictive sanction is appropriate and may impose a different sanction. Unless the period of post-release control was imposed for an offense described in division (B)(1) of this section, the authority also may recommend that the parole board reduce the duration of the period of post-release control imposed by the court. If the authority recommends that the board reduce the duration of control for an offense described in division (B)(2), (B)(3), or (C) of this section, the board shall review the releasee’s behavior and may reduce the duration of the period of control imposed by the court. In no case shall the board reduce the duration of the period of control imposed by the court for an offense described in division (B)(1) of this section, and in no case shall the board permit the releasee to leave the state without permission of the court or the releasee’s parole or probation officer.

(E) The department of rehabilitation and correction, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules that do all of the following:

(1) Establish standards for the imposition by the parole board of post-release control sanctions under this section that are consistent with the overriding purposes and sentencing principles set forth in section 2929.11 of the Revised Code and that are appropriate to the needs of releasees;

(2) Establish standards by which the parole board can determine which prisoners described in division (C) of this section should be placed under a period of post-release control;

(3) Establish standards to be used by the parole board in reducing the duration of the period of post-release control imposed by the court when authorized under division (D) of this section, in imposing a more restrictive post-release control sanction than monitored time upon a prisoner convicted of a felony of the fourth or fifth degree other than a felony sex offense, or in imposing a less restrictive control sanction upon a releasee based on the releasee’s activities including, but not limited to, remaining free from criminal activity and from the abuse of alcohol or other drugs, successfully participating in approved rehabilitation programs, maintaining employment, and paying restitution to the victim or meeting the terms of other financial sanctions;

(4) Establish standards to be used by the adult parole authority in modifying a releasee’s post-release control sanctions pursuant to division (D)(2) of this section;

(5) Establish standards to be used by the adult parole authority or parole board in imposing further sanctions under division (F) of this section on releasees who violate post-release control sanctions, including standards that do the following:

(a) Classify violations according to the degree of seriousness;

(b) Define the circumstances under which formal action by the parole board is warranted;

(c) Govern the use of evidence at violation hearings;

(d) Ensure procedural due process to an alleged violator;

(e) Prescribe nonresidential community control sanctions for most misdemeanor and technical violations;

(f) Provide procedures for the return of a releasee to imprisonment for violations of post-release control.

(F)(1) Whenever the parole board imposes one or more post-release control sanctions upon an offender under this section, the offender upon release from imprisonment shall be under the general jurisdiction of the adult parole authority and generally shall be supervised by the field services section through its staff of parole and field officers as described in section 5149.04 of the Revised Code, as if the offender had been placed on parole. If the offender upon release from imprisonment violates the post-release control sanction or any conditions described in division (A) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code that are imposed on the offender, the public or private person or entity that operates or administers the sanction or the program or activity that comprises the sanction shall report the violation directly to the adult parole authority or to the officer of the authority who supervises the offender. The authority’s officers may treat the offender as if the offender were on parole and in violation of the parole, and otherwise shall comply with this section.

(2) If the adult parole authority determines that a releasee has violated a post-release control sanction or any conditions described in division (A) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code imposed upon the releasee and that a more restrictive sanction is appropriate, the authority may impose a more restrictive sanction upon the releasee, in accordance with the standards established under division (E) of this section, or may report the violation to the parole board for a hearing pursuant to division (F)(3) of this section. The authority may not, pursuant to this division, increase the duration of the releasee’s post-release control or impose as a post-release control sanction a residential sanction that includes a prison term, but the authority may impose on the releasee any other residential sanction, nonresidential sanction, or financial sanction that the sentencing court was authorized to impose pursuant to sections 2929.16, 2929.17, and 2929.18 of the Revised Code.

(3) The parole board may hold a hearing on any alleged violation by a releasee of a post-release control sanction or any conditions described in division (A) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code that are imposed upon the releasee. If after the hearing the board finds that the releasee violated the sanction or condition, the board may increase the duration of the releasee’s post-release control up to the maximum duration authorized by division (B) or (C) of this section or impose a more restrictive post-release control sanction. When appropriate, the board may impose as a post-release control sanction a residential sanction that includes a prison term. The board shall consider a prison term as a post-release control sanction imposed for a violation of post-release control when the violation involves a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance, physical harm or attempted serious physical harm to a person, or sexual misconduct, or when the releasee committed repeated violations of post-release control sanctions. The period of a prison term that is imposed as a post-release control sanction under this division shall not exceed nine months, and the maximum cumulative prison term for all violations under this division shall not exceed one-half of the stated prison term originally imposed upon the offender as part of this sentence. The period of a prison term that is imposed as a post-release control sanction under this division shall not count as, or be credited toward, the remaining period of post-release control.

If an offender is imprisoned for a felony committed while under post-release control supervision and is again released on post-release control for a period of time determined by division (F)(4)(d) of this section, the maximum cumulative prison term for all violations under this division shall not exceed one-half of the total stated prison terms of the earlier felony, reduced by any prison term administratively imposed by the parole board, plus one-half of the total stated prison term of the new felony.

(4) Any period of post-release control shall commence upon an offender’s actual release from prison. If an offender is serving an indefinite prison term or a life sentence in addition to a stated prison term, the offender shall serve the period of post-release control in the following manner:

(a) If a period of post-release control is imposed upon the offender and if the offender also is subject to a period of parole under a life sentence or an indefinite sentence, and if the period of post-release control ends prior to the period of parole, the offender shall be supervised on parole. The offender shall receive credit for post-release control supervision during the period of parole. The offender is not eligible for final release under section 2967.16 of the Revised Code until the post-release control period otherwise would have ended.

(b) If a period of post-release control is imposed upon the offender and if the offender also is subject to a period of parole under an indefinite sentence, and if the period of parole ends prior to the period of post-release control, the offender shall be supervised on post-release control. The requirements of parole supervision shall be satisfied during the post-release control period.

(c) If an offender is subject to more than one period of post-release control, the period of post-release control for all of the sentences shall be the period of post-release control that expires last, as determined by the parole board. Periods of post-release control shall be served concurrently and shall not be imposed consecutively to each other.

(d) The period of post-release control for a releasee who commits a felony while under post-release control for an earlier felony shall be the longer of the period of post-release control specified for the new felony under division (B) or (C) of this section or the time remaining under the period of post-release control imposed for the earlier felony as determined by the parole board.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003; 07-11-2006

Effective Date: 07-01-1996