State Leaders Announce Initiative to Analyze Corrections System and Enhance Public Safety Efforts

Press Release

State Leaders Announce Initiative to Analyze Corrections System and Enhance Public Safety Efforts

Columbus, Ohio -- Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer and state House and Senate leaders today announced the launch of an effort by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the State of Ohio to develop a data-driven strategy to reduce spending on corrections while improving public safety in Ohio.

The Justice Reinvestment Initiative is the result of a 2008 request by state leaders, including then-House Speaker Jon Husted, to the Council of State Governments, Pew Center on the States, and the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance for help in developing a statewide policy framework for the corrections system.

"Our Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has already made major strides toward reducing spending, and we stand committed to successful offender reentry and safer communities across Ohio. The Council of State Governments' data-driven approach will help augment and advance Ohio's current efforts," Governor Strickland said. "We are undertaking this work to identify long-term strategies to reduce corrections costs so that we can better invest limited taxpayer resources to meet our public safety priorities."

A bipartisan work group including state agency directors, legislative leaders, top officials from the court system, and other public sector representatives, has been established to guide the intensive technical assistance provided by the CSG Justice Center. Recently, criminal justice stakeholders across Ohio have been asked to participate in the Council of State Governments' efforts.

"Ohio will be a safer place to live and raise a family because of the collaborative efforts to manage the growth of the prison population and to reinvest this public safety dividend," Chief Justice Moyer said. "I remain committed to providing the appropriate assistance to ensure that we make effective use of the state's resources."

Over the life of the project, stakeholders will be engaged through focus groups, interviews and roundtable discussions. State Sen. Bill Seitz and State Rep. Mike Moran have been designated as co-chairs of the work group.

"This bipartisan committee will work with local officials to ensure that potential legislative options are based on quantitative data and the expertise of the men and women who are on the frontlines of Ohio's criminal justice system," House Speaker Armond Budish said. "This process provides us the opportunity to build consensus across the state around the strategies that will enable Ohio to cut crime and carefully manage corrections spending."

From 1998 to 2004, Ohio's prison population declined. In the last three years, however, the population has climbed 14 percent, from 44,270 in 2005 to a new all-time high of 51,273 in 2008. In 2009, the population went down slightly to 51,250.

The Justice Reinvestment Initiative will provide Ohio policymakers with an in-depth analysis of criminal justice data to determine why the prison population is increasing and where opportunities exist to increase public safety.

"Prison overcrowding and corrections costs are among the greatest challenges facing our state," Senate President Bill Harris said. "There are actions the General Assembly can take now to alleviate the burden, while this group of experts, led by the CSG Justice Center, begins its work to provide policymakers with information and recommendations to make further reforms in the future."

In nine other states, the Justice Center has provided policymakers with analysis and policy options that have been implemented to avert hundreds of millions in corrections costs and reinvest in public safety priorities that strengthen communities.

"I am very pleased that we will be examining this subject," said House Minority Leader William Batchelder. "As a former judge I saw serious problems in this area and look forward to cooperating in any way the co-chairman would ask."

"We look forward to reviewing the data so we can develop policies that control costs while also protecting our citizens," Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro said.

If existing policies remain unchanged, the prison population in Ohio will continue to grow. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction projects that its incarcerated population will increase 11 percent over the next 10 years..

Additionally, DRC has estimated that increasing system capacity to accommodate the projected increase will cost $925 million, including $424 million in construction costs and $501 million in additional operating costs.

"Our work across the country has shown that states can cut both crime and incarceration rates at the same time," said Adam Gelb, director of the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States. "We see a solid commitment from leaders in Ohio to roll up their sleeves, look at the data and research, and figure out how to get taxpayers a better return on their corrections dollars."

To incorporate perspectives and recommendations from across the criminal justice system, the Justice Center will consult stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, law enforcement, advocates for victims and survivors, and others.

The technical assistance is made possible through funding support provided by the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States, and the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. The State of Ohio is providing $100,000 through a federal grant fund.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies--informed by available evidence--to increase public safety and strengthen communities. To learn more about the justice reinvestment strategy in Ohio and other states, please visit www.justicereinvestment.org.

The Pew Center on the States is a division of The Pew Charitable Trusts that identifies and advances effective solutions to critical issues facing states. Pew is a nonprofit organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. More information is available at www.pewcenteronthestates.org

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