Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 5120 | Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Section 5120.031 | Pilot Program of Shock Incarceration.

Effective: September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation: House Bill 113 - 131st General Assembly
(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Certificate of high school equivalence" means e ither:
( a) A statement that is issued by the d epartment of education that indicates that its holder has achieved the equivalent of a high school education as measured by scores obtained on a high school equivalency test approved by the department of education pursuant to division (B) of section 3301.80 of the Revised Code;
(b) A statement that is issued by a primary-secondary education or higher education agency of another state that indicates that its holder has achieved the equivalent of a high school education as measured by scores obtained on a similar nationally recognized high school equivalency test.
(2) "Certificate of adult basic education" means a statement that is issued by the department of rehabilitation and correction through the Ohio central school system approved by the state board of education and that indicates that its holder has achieved a 6.0 grade level, or higher, as measured by scores of nationally standardized or recognized tests.
(3) "Deadly weapon" and "firearm" have the same meanings as in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code.
(4) "Eligible offender" means a person, other than one who is ineligible to participate in an intensive program prison under the criteria specified in section 5120.032 of the Revised Code, who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to, and has been sentenced for, a felony.
(5) "Shock incarceration" means the program of incarceration that is established pursuant to the rules of the department of rehabilitation and correction adopted under this section.
(B)(1) The director of rehabilitation and correction, by rules adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall establish a pilot program of shock incarceration that may be used for offenders who are sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment under the custody of the department of rehabilitation and correction, whom the department determines to be eligible offenders, and whom the department, subject to the approval of the sentencing judge, may permit to serve their sentence as a sentence of shock incarceration in accordance with this section.
(2) The rules for the pilot program shall require that the program be established at an appropriate state correctional institution designated by the director and that the program consist of both of the following for each eligible offender whom the department, with the approval of the sentencing judge, permits to serve the eligible offender's sentence as a sentence of shock incarceration:
(a) A period of imprisonment at that institution of ninety days that shall consist of a military style combination of discipline, physical training, and hard labor and substance abuse education, employment skills training, social skills training, and psychological treatment. During the ninety-day period, the department may permit an eligible offender to participate in a self-help program. Additionally, during the ninety-day period, an eligible offender who holds a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalence may be permitted to tutor other eligible offenders in the shock incarceration program. If an eligible offender does not hold a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalence, the eligible offender may elect to participate in an education program that is designed to award a certificate of adult basic education or an education program that is designed to award a certificate of high school equivalence to those eligible offenders who successfully complete the education program, whether the completion occurs during or subsequent to the ninety-day period. To the extent possible, the department shall use as teachers in the education program persons who have been issued a license pursuant to sections 3319.22 to 3319.31 of the Revised Code, who have volunteered their services to the education program, and who satisfy any other criteria specified in the rules for the pilot project.
(b) Immediately following the ninety-day period of imprisonment, and notwithstanding any other provision governing the early release of a prisoner from imprisonment or the transfer of a prisoner to transitional control, one of the following, as determined by the director:
(i) An intermediate, transitional type of detention for the period of time determined by the director and, immediately following the intermediate, transitional type of detention, a release under a post-release control sanction imposed in accordance with section 2967.28 of the Revised Code. The period of intermediate, transitional type of detention imposed by the director under this division may be in a halfway house, in a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program established under sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code, or in any other facility approved by the director that provides for detention to serve as a transition between imprisonment in a state correctional institution and release from imprisonment.
(ii) A release under a post-release control sanction imposed in accordance with section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.
(3) The rules for the pilot program also shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Rules identifying the locations within the state correctional institution designated by the director that will be used for eligible offenders serving a sentence of shock incarceration;
(b) Rules establishing specific schedules of discipline, physical training, and hard labor for eligible offenders serving a sentence of shock incarceration, based upon the offender's physical condition and needs;
(c) Rules establishing standards and criteria for the department to use in determining which eligible offenders the department will permit to serve their sentence of imprisonment as a sentence of shock incarceration;
(d) Rules establishing guidelines for the selection of post-release control sanctions for eligible offenders;
(e) Rules establishing procedures for notifying sentencing courts of the performance of eligible offenders serving their sentences of imprisonment as a sentence of shock incarceration;
(f) Any other rules that are necessary for the proper conduct of the pilot program.
(C)(1) If an offender is sentenced to a term of imprisonment under the custody of the department, if the sentencing court either recommends the offender for placement in a program of shock incarceration under this section or makes no recommendation on placement of the offender, and if the department determines that the offender is an eligible offender for placement in a program of shock incarceration under this section, the department may permit the eligible offender to serve the sentence in a program of shock incarceration, in accordance with division (I) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code, with this section, and with the rules adopted under this section. If the sentencing court disapproves placement of the offender in a program of shock incarceration, the department shall not place the offender in any program of shock incarceration.
If the sentencing court recommends the offender for placement in a program of shock incarceration and if the department subsequently places the offender in the recommended program, the department shall notify the court of the offender's placement in the recommended program and shall include with the notice a brief description of the placement.
If the sentencing court recommends placement of the offender in a program of shock incarceration and the department for any reason does not subsequently place the offender in the recommended program, the department shall send a notice to the court indicating why the offender was not placed in the recommended program.
If the sentencing court does not make a recommendation on the placement of an offender in a program of shock incarceration and if the department determines that the offender is an eligible offender for placement in a program of that nature, the department shall screen the offender and determine if the offender is suited for the program of shock incarceration. If the offender is suited for the program of shock incarceration, at least three weeks prior to permitting an eligible offender to serve the sentence in a program of shock incarceration, the department shall notify the sentencing court of the proposed placement of the offender in the program and shall include with the notice a brief description of the placement. The court shall have ten days from receipt of the notice to disapprove the placement. If the sentencing court disapproves of the placement, the department shall not permit the eligible offender to serve the sentence in a program of shock incarceration. If the judge does not timely disapprove of placement of the offender in the program of shock incarceration, the department may proceed with plans for placement of the offender.
If the department determines that the offender is not eligible for placement in a program of shock incarceration, the department shall not place the offender in any program of shock incarceration.
(2) If the department permits an eligible offender to serve the eligible offender's sentence of imprisonment as a sentence of shock incarceration and the eligible offender does not satisfactorily complete the entire period of imprisonment described in division (B)(2)(a) of this section, the offender shall be removed from the pilot program for shock incarceration and shall be required to serve the remainder of the offender's sentence of imprisonment imposed by the sentencing court as a regular term of imprisonment. If the eligible offender commences a period of post-release control described in division (B)(2)(b) of this section and violates the conditions of that post-release control, the eligible offender shall be subject to the provisions of sections 2929.141, 2967.15, and 2967.28 of the Revised Code regarding violation of post-release control sanctions.
(3) If an eligible offender's stated prison term expires at any time during the eligible offender's participation in the shock incarceration program, the adult parole authority shall terminate the eligible offender's participation in the program and shall issue to the eligible offender a certificate of expiration of the stated prison term.
(D) The director shall keep sentencing courts informed of the performance of eligible offenders serving their sentences of imprisonment as a sentence of shock incarceration, including, but not limited to, notice of eligible offenders who fail to satisfactorily complete their entire sentence of shock incarceration or who satisfactorily complete their entire sentence of shock incarceration.
(E) Within a reasonable period of time after November 20, 1990, the director shall appoint a committee to search for one or more suitable sites at which one or more programs of shock incarceration, in addition to the pilot program required by division (B)(1) of this section, may be established. The search committee shall consist of the director or the director's designee, as chairperson; employees of the department of rehabilitation and correction appointed by the director; and any other persons that the director, in the director's discretion, appoints. In searching for such sites, the search committee shall give preference to any site owned by the state or any other governmental entity and to any existing structure that reasonably could be renovated, enlarged, converted, or remodeled for purposes of establishing such a program. The search committee shall prepare a report concerning its activities and, on the earlier of the day that is twelve months after the first day on which an eligible offender began serving a sentence of shock incarceration under the pilot program or January 1, 1992, shall file the report with the president and the minority leader of the senate, the speaker and the minority leader of the house of representatives, the members of the senate who were members of the senate judiciary committee in the 118th general assembly or their successors, and the members of the house of representatives who were members of the select committee to hear drug legislation that was established in the 118th general assembly or their successors. Upon the filing of the report, the search committee shall terminate. The report required by this division shall contain all of the following:
(1) A summary of the process used by the search committee in performing its duties under this division;
(2) A summary of all of the sites reviewed by the search committee in performing its duties under this division, and the benefits and disadvantages it found relative to the establishment of a program of shock incarceration at each such site;
(3) The findings and recommendations of the search committee as to the suitable site or sites, if any, at which a program of shock incarceration, in addition to the pilot program required by division (B)(1) of this section, may be established.
(F) The director periodically shall review the pilot program for shock incarceration required to be established by division (B)(1) of this section. The director shall prepare a report relative to the pilot program and, on the earlier of the day that is twelve months after the first day on which an eligible offender began serving a sentence of shock incarceration under the pilot program or January 1, 1992, shall file the report with the president and the minority leader of the senate, the speaker and the minority leader of the house of representatives, the members of the senate who were members of the senate judiciary committee in the 118th general assembly or their successors, and the members of the house of representatives who were members of the select committee to hear drug legislation that was established in the 118th general assembly or their successors. The pilot program shall not terminate at the time of the filing of the report, but shall continue in operation in accordance with this section. The report required by this division shall include all of the following:
(1) A summary of the pilot program as initially established, a summary of all changes in the pilot program made during the period covered by the report and the reasons for the changes, and a summary of the pilot program as it exists on the date of preparation of the report;
(2) A summary of the effectiveness of the pilot program, in the opinion of the director and employees of the department involved in its operation;
(3) An analysis of the total cost of the pilot program, of its cost per inmate who was permitted to serve a sentence of shock incarceration and who served the entire sentence of shock incarceration, and of its cost per inmate who was permitted to serve a sentence of shock incarceration;
(4) A summary of the standards and criteria used by the department in determining which eligible offenders were permitted to serve their sentence of imprisonment as a sentence of shock incarceration;
(5) A summary of the characteristics of the eligible offenders who were permitted to serve their sentence of imprisonment as a sentence of shock incarceration, which summary shall include, but not be limited to, a listing of every offense of which any such eligible offender was convicted or to which any such eligible offender pleaded guilty and in relation to which the eligible offender served a sentence of shock incarceration, and the total number of such eligible offenders who were convicted of or pleaded guilty to each such offense;
(6) A listing of the number of eligible offenders who were permitted to serve a sentence of shock incarceration and who did not serve the entire sentence of shock incarceration, and, to the extent possible, a summary of the length of the terms of imprisonment served by such eligible offenders after they were removed from the pilot program;
(7) A summary of the effect of the pilot program on overcrowding at state correctional institutions;
(8) To the extent possible, an analysis of the rate of recidivism of eligible offenders who were permitted to serve a sentence of shock incarceration and who served the entire sentence of shock incarceration;
(9) Recommendations as to legislative changes to the pilot program that would assist in its operation or that could further alleviate overcrowding at state correctional institutions, and recommendations as to whether the pilot program should be expanded.

Structure Ohio Revised Code