Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 2961 | Disfranchised Convicts; Habitual Criminals
Section 2961.22 | Application for Certificate of Achievement and Employability.

Effective: September 28, 2012
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 337, House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly
(A)(1) Any prisoner serving a prison term in a state correctional institution who satisfies all of the following is eligible to apply to the department of rehabilitation and correction at a time specified in division (A)(2) of this section and in accordance with division (D) of this section for a certificate of achievement and employability:
(a) The prisoner has satisfactorily completed one or more in-prison vocational programs approved by rule by the department of rehabilitation and correction.
(b) The prisoner has demonstrated exemplary performance as determined by completion of one or more cognitive or behavioral improvement programs approved by rule by the department while incarcerated in a state correctional institution, while under supervision, or during both periods of time.
(c) The prisoner has completed community service hours.
(d) The prisoner shows other evidence of achievement and rehabilitation while under the jurisdiction of the department.
(2) An eligible prisoner may apply to the department of rehabilitation and correction under division (A)(1) of this section for a certificate of achievement and employability no earlier than one year prior to the date scheduled for the release of the prisoner from department custody and no later than the date of release of the prisoner.
(B)(1) Any prisoner who has been released from a state correctional institution, who is under supervision on parole or under a post-release control sanction, and who satisfies all of the criteria set forth in division (A)(1) of this section is eligible to apply to the adult parole authority at a time specified in division (B)(2) of this section and in accordance with division (D) of this section for a certificate of achievement and employability.
(2) An eligible prisoner may apply to the adult parole authority under division (B)(1) of this section for a certificate of achievement and employability at any time while the prisoner is under supervision on parole or under a post-release control sanction.
(C)(1) An eligible prisoner may apply to the department of rehabilitation and correction or to the adult parole authority at a time specified in division (A) or (B) of this section, whichever is applicable, for a certificate of achievement and employability that grants the prisoner relief from one or more mandatory civil impacts that would affect a potential job within a field in which the prisoner trained as part of the prisoner's in-prison vocational program. The prisoner shall specify the mandatory civil impacts from which the prisoner is requesting relief under the certificate. Upon application by a prisoner in accordance with this division, if the mandatory civil impact of any licensing agency would be affected by the issuance of the certificate to the prisoner, the department or authority shall notify the licensing agency of the filing of the application, provide the licensing agency with a copy of the application and all evidence that the department, authority, or court has regarding the prisoner, and afford the licensing agency with an opportunity to object in writing to the issuance of the certificate to the prisoner.
(2) Upon application by a prisoner in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section, the department of rehabilitation and correction or the adult parole authority, whichever is applicable, shall consider the application and all objections to the issuance of a certificate of achievement and employability to the prisoner, if any, that were made by a licensing agency under division (C)(1) of this section. If the department or authority determines that the prisoner is an eligible prisoner, that the application was filed at a time specified in division (B) of this section, and that any licensing agency objections to the issuance of the certificate to the prisoner are not sufficient to deny the issuance of the certificate to the prisoner, subject to division (C)(3) of this section, the department or authority shall issue the prisoner a certificate of achievement and employability that grants the prisoner relief from the mandatory civil impacts that are specified in the prisoner's application and that would affect a potential job within a field in which the prisoner trained as part of the prisoner's in-prison vocational program.
(3) The mandatory civil impacts identified in division (A)(1) of section 2961.01 and in division (B) of section 2961.02 of the Revised Code shall not be affected by any certificate of achievement and employability issued under this section. No certificate of achievement and employability issued to a prisoner under this section grants the prisoner relief from the mandatory civil impacts identified in division (A)(1) of section 2961.01 and in division (B) of section 2961.02 of the Revised Code.
(D) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall adopt rules that define in-prison vocational programs and cognitive or behavioral improvement programs that a prisoner may complete to satisfy the criteria described in divisions (A)(1)(a) and (b) of this section.
(E) The department of rehabilitation and correction and the adult parole authority shall not be liable for any claim for damages arising from the department's or authority's issuance, denial, or revocation of a certificate of achievement and employability or for the department's or authority's failure to revoke a certificate of achievement and employability under the circumstances described in section 2961.24 of the Revised Code.
The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.

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