Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 2929 | Penalties and Sentencing
Section 2929.37 | Confinement Cost Policy.

Effective: October 12, 2006
Latest Legislation: House Bill 162 - 126th General Assembly
(A) A board of county commissioners, in an agreement with the sheriff, a legislative authority of a municipal corporation, a corrections commission, a facility governing board, or any other public or private entity that operates a local detention facility at which a prisoner who is convicted of an offense and who is confined in the facility under a sanction or term of imprisonment imposed under section 2929.16, sections 2929.21 to 2929.28, or any other provision of the Revised Code may adopt, pursuant to section 307.93, 341.14, 341.19, 341.21, 341.23, 753.02, 753.04, 753.16, 2301.56, or 2947.19 of the Revised Code, a policy that requires the prisoner to pay all or part of the costs of confinement in that facility. If a board of county commissioners, legislative authority, corrections commission, facility governing board, or other entity adopts a policy for a facility pursuant to one of those sections, the person in charge of that facility shall appoint a reimbursement coordinator to administer the facility's policy.
The costs of confinement may include, but are not limited to, the costs of repairing property damaged by the prisoner while confined, a per diem fee for room and board, medical and dental treatment costs, the fee for a random drug test assessed under division (E) of section 341.26 and division (E) of section 753.33 of the Revised Code, and a one-time reception fee for the costs of processing the prisoner into the facility at the time of the prisoner's initial entry into the facility under the confinement in question, minus any fees deducted under section 2929.38 of the Revised Code. Any policy adopted under this section shall be used when a court does not order reimbursement of confinement costs under section 2929.18 or 2929.28 of the Revised Code. The amount assessed under this section shall not exceed the total amount that the prisoner is able to pay.
(B)(1) Each prisoner covered by a repayment policy adopted as described in division (A) of this section shall receive at the end of the prisoner's confinement an itemized bill of the expenses to be reimbursed. The policy shall allow periodic payments on a schedule to be implemented upon a prisoner's release. The bill also shall state that payment shall be made to the person identified in the bill as the reimbursement coordinator and include a notice that specifies that the prisoner has thirty days in which to dispute the bill by filing a written objection with the reimbursement coordinator and that if the prisoner does not dispute the bill in that manner within that period, the prisoner is required to pay the bill and a certificate of judgment may be obtained against the prisoner for the amount of the unpaid expenses. The prisoner shall sign a copy of the bill, and the reimbursement coordinator shall retain that copy. If the prisoner disputes an item on the bill within thirty days after receiving the bill, the reimbursement coordinator may either concede the disputed item or proceed to a hearing under division (B)(2) of this section.
(2) If the prisoner disputes an item on an itemized bill presented to the prisoner under division (B)(1) of this section and the reimbursement coordinator does not concede the item, the reimbursement coordinator shall submit the bill to the court, and the court shall hold a hearing on the disputed items in the bill. At the end of the hearing, the court shall determine how much of the disputed expenses the prisoner shall reimburse the legislative authority or managing authority and shall issue a judgment in favor of the legislative authority or managing authority for any undisputed expenses and the amount of the disputed expenses for which the prisoner must reimburse the legislative authority or managing authority. The reimbursement coordinator shall not seek to enforce the judgment until at least ninety days after the court issues the judgment.
(C) If a prisoner does not dispute the itemized bill presented to the prisoner under division (B) of this section and does not pay the bill within ninety days, the reimbursement coordinator shall send by mail a notice to the prisoner requesting payment of the expenses as stated in the bill. If the prisoner does not respond to the notice by paying the expenses in full within thirty days of the date the notice was mailed, the reimbursement coordinator shall send by mail a second notice to the prisoner requesting payment of the expenses. If one hundred eighty days elapse from the date that the reimbursement coordinator provides the bill and if the prisoner has not paid the full amount of the expenses pursuant to the bill and the notices, the reimbursement coordinator may notify the clerk of the appropriate court of those facts, and the clerk may issue a certificate of judgment against the prisoner for the balance of the expenses remaining unpaid.
(D) The reimbursement coordinator may collect any amounts remaining unpaid on an itemized bill and any costs associated with the enforcement of the judgment and may enter into a contract with one or more public agencies or private vendors to collect any amounts remaining unpaid. For enforcing a judgment issued under this section, the reimbursement coordinator may assess an additional poundage fee of two per cent of the amount remaining unpaid and may collect costs associated with the enforcement of the judgment.
(E) Neither the reimbursement coordinator nor the legislative authority or the managing authority shall enforce any judgment obtained under this section by means of execution against the prisoner's homestead. Any reimbursement received under this section shall be credited to the general fund of the treasury of the political subdivision that incurred the expense, to be used for general fund purposes.

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