Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 5120 | Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Section 5120.66 | Internet Database of Inmate Offense, Sentence, and Release Information; "Laura's Law".

Effective: March 22, 2019
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 201 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) Within ninety days after November 23, 2005, but not before January 1, 2006, the department of rehabilitation and correction shall establish and operate on the internet a database that contains all of the following:
(1) For each inmate in the custody of the department under a sentence imposed for a conviction of or plea of guilty to any offense, all of the following information:
(a) The inmate's name;
(b) For each offense for which the inmate was sentenced to a prison term or term of imprisonment and is in the department's custody, the name of the offense, the Revised Code section of which the offense is a violation, the gender of each victim of the offense if those facts are known, whether each victim of the offense was an adult or child if those facts are known, whether any victim of the offense was a law enforcement officer if that fact is known, the range of the possible prison terms or term of imprisonment that could have been imposed for the offense, the actual prison term or term of imprisonment imposed for the offense, the county in which the offense was committed, the date on which the inmate began serving the prison term or term of imprisonment imposed for the offense, and whichever of the following is applicable:
(i) The date on which the inmate will be eligible for parole relative to the offense if the prison term or term of imprisonment is an indefinite term or life term with parole eligibility;
(ii) The date on which the term ends if the prison term is a definite term;
(iii) The date on which the inmate will be eligible for presumptive release under section 2967.271 of the Revised Code, if the inmate is serving a non-life felony indefinite prison term.
(c) All of the following information that is applicable regarding the inmate:
(i) If known to the department prior to the conduct of any hearing for judicial release of the defendant pursuant to section 2929.20 of the Revised Code in relation to any prison term or term of imprisonment the inmate is serving for any offense or any hearing for release of the defendant pursuant to section 2967.19 of the Revised Code in relation to any such term, notice of the fact that the inmate will be having a hearing regarding a possible grant of judicial release or release, the date of the hearing, and the right of any person pursuant to division (J) of section 2929.20 or division (H) of section 2967.19 of the Revised Code, whichever is applicable, to submit to the court a written statement regarding the possible judicial release or release. The department also shall post notice of the submission to a sentencing court of any recommendation for early release of the inmate pursuant to section 2967.19 of the Revised Code, as required by division (E) of that section.
(ii) If the inmate is serving a prison term pursuant to 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, prior to the conduct of any hearing pursuant to section 2971.05 of the Revised Code to determine whether to modify the requirement that the inmate serve the entire prison term in a state correctional facility in accordance with division (C) of that section, whether to continue, revise, or revoke any existing modification of that requirement, or whether to terminate the prison term in accordance with division (D) of that section, notice of the fact that the inmate will be having a hearing regarding those determinations and the date of the hearing;
(iii) At least sixty days before the adult parole authority recommends a pardon or commutation of sentence for the inmate, at least sixty days prior to a hearing before the adult parole authority regarding a grant of parole to the inmate in relation to any prison term or term of imprisonment the inmate is serving for any offense, or at least sixty days prior to a hearing before the department regarding a determination of whether the inmate must be released under division (C) or (D)(2) of section 2967.271 of the Revised Code if the inmate is serving a non-life felony indefinite prison term, notice of the fact that the inmate might be under consideration for a pardon or commutation of sentence or will be having a hearing regarding a possible grant of parole or release, the date of any hearing regarding a possible grant of parole or release, and the right of any person to submit a written statement regarding the pending action;
(iv) At least sixty days before the inmate is transferred to transitional control under section 2967.26 of the Revised Code in relation to any prison term or term of imprisonment the inmate is serving for any offense, notice of the pendency of the transfer, the date of the possible transfer, and the right of any person to submit a statement regarding the possible transfer;
(v) Prompt notice of the inmate's escape from any facility in which the inmate was incarcerated and of the capture of the inmate after an escape;
(vi) Notice of the inmate's death while in confinement;
(vii) Prior to the release of the inmate from confinement, notice of the fact that the inmate will be released, of the date of the release, and, if applicable, of the standard terms and conditions of the release;
(viii) Notice of the inmate's judicial release pursuant to section 2929.20 of the Revised Code or release pursuant to section 2967.19 of the Revised Code.
(2) Information as to where a person can send written statements of the types referred to in divisions (A)(1)(c)(i), (iii), and (iv) of this section.
(B)(1) The department shall update the database required under division (A) of this section every twenty-four hours to ensure that the information it contains is accurate and current.
(2) The database required under division (A) of this section is a public record open for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code. The department shall make the database searchable by inmate name and by the county and zip code where the offender intends to reside after release from a state correctional institution if this information is known to the department.
(3) The database required under division (A) of this section may contain information regarding inmates who are listed in the database in addition to the information described in that division.
(4) No information included on the database required under division (A) of this section shall identify or enable the identification of any victim of any offense committed by an inmate.
(C) The failure of the department to comply with the requirements of division (A) or (B) of this section does not give any rights or any grounds for appeal or post-conviction relief to any inmate.
(D) This section, and the related provisions of sections 2929.20, 2967.03, 2967.12, and 2967.26 of the Revised Code enacted in the act in which this section was enacted, shall be known as "Laura's Law."
(E) As used in this section, "non-life felony indefinite prison term" has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

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