Ohio Justice And Policy Center

TO CREATE FAIR, INTELLIGENT, REDEMPTIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS THROUGH ZEALOUS CLIENT-CENTERED ADVOCACY, INNOVATIVE POLICY REFORM AND CROSS-SECTOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION.

SECOND CHANCE:THIS STRATEGIC GOAL AIMS TO EXPAND THE FREEDOM OF PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN THE COMMUNITY. PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS FACE UNPRECEDENTED, LIFELONG BARRIERS TO OBTAINING AND RETAINING GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT, ACCESSING EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS, AND FINDING STABLE HOUSING. OJPC'S SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY LEGAL CLINICS PROVIDE EXPERT 1 ON 1 LEGAL SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS. THROUGH THE LEGAL CLINICS AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, WE SCREEN PEOPLE FOR CRIMINAL RECORD SEALING, HAVE CQE'S GRANTED, PROVIDE REPRESENTATION TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS; RESOLVE COURT FINES, FEES, AND COSTS; AND HELP OHIOANS IN REMOVING OTHER LEGAL BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, LICENSING, HOUSING, OR CIVIC PARTICIPATION. DURING THE PANDEMIC, OJPC QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY TRANSFORMED OUR SECOND CHANCE OUTREACH LEGAL CLINICS-WHICH TRADITIONALLY TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON INTO VIRTUAL CLINICS. WE NOT ONLY FOUND WAYS TO SERVE OUR CLIENTS THROUGH A MIXTURE OF INTERNET, PHONE, AND OCCASIONAL IN-PERSON INTERACTION, WE WERE ABLE TO VASTLY EXPAND OUR SERVICES WITH PARTNERS IN CINCINNATI, DAYTON, COLUMBUS AND MANSFIELD. AS A RESULT, SECOND CHANCE SERVICES CAN CONTINUE VIRTUALLY AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER (THANKS TO VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY) ALL OVER THE STATE. IN 2021, THE CLINICS HELPED MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS.

DECARCERATION:OJPC'S BEYOND GUILT PROJECT ADDRESSES OUR STRATEGIC GOAL TO REDUCE THE SIZE AND RACIAL DISPARITY OF THE STATE POPULATION OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE SAFELY AND SUBSTANTIALLY. LAUNCHED IN THE SPRING OF 2019, BEYOND GUILT SERVES INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED UNFAIRLY LONG PRISON SENTENCES, ADMIT GUILT, SERVED SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THEIR SENTENCES, CAN DEMONSTRATE REHABILITATION AND ARE READY TO REJOIN SOCIETY. BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING REHABILITATION AND REDEMPTION, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED A VIOLENT CRIME OR OTHER SERIOUS OFFENSE, WE BELIEVE (TO PARAPHRASE SISTER HELEN PREJEAN AND BRYAN STEVENSON) THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE FOREVER DEFINED BY THEIR WORST MISTAKES. BEYOND GUILT AIMS TO DO FOR THE OVER-PUNISHED PRISONERS WHO ADMIT GUILT WHAT INNOCENCE PROJECTS HAVE DONE FOR WRONGFULLY CONVICTED PERSONS. TO DATE, OJPC HAS ASSISTED 37 PEOPLE TO BE RELEASED FROM PRISON.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN PRISON:THROUGH ITS IMPACT LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY, OJPC'S THIRD STRATEGIC GOAL IS TO ELIMINATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT FOR THOSE LIVING IN OHIO PRISONS. IN 1982, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 17,000 PEOPLE INCARCERATED IN OHIO PRISONS, BUT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 45,000 TODAY (DOWN FROM APPROXIMATELY 50,000 AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020). AS THE PRISON POPULATION HAS RAPIDLY GROWN OVER THE YEARS, AND THE STATE HAS STRUGGLED TO PAY THE COSTS OF INCARCERATING SO MANY PEOPLE, PRISON CONDITIONS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY DETERIORATED. INCARCERATED PEOPLE FACE AN ENORMOUS RANGE OF LEGAL AND HEALTH ISSUES LIKELY TO RESULT IN SERIOUS HARM OR DEATH. OJPC ALSO ADVOCATES FOR STATEWIDE POLICIES THAT ELIMINATE UNFAIR TREATMENT OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE. MOST RECENTLY, OJPC OFFERED TESTIMONY ON HB 136 TO THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. GOV. DEWINE SIGNED THIS BILL INTO LAW IN JANUARY 2021. THE BILL ENDS THE PRACTICE OF EXECUTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES:OJPC'S OTHER WORK INCLUDES OUR CONSTITUTIONAL LITIGATION CLINIC, WHICH PROVIDES HANDS-ON LEGAL EDUCATION FOR 3RD YEAR LAW SCHOOL STUDENTS AT NKU'S CHASE COLLEGE OF LAW. THE STUDENTS ARE OVERSEEN BY OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND THEY GAIN EXPERIENCE LITIGATING CIVIL RIGHTS CASES. OJPC ENGAGES IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WITH A STAFF MEMBER SPEAKING TO SCHOOL OR CIVIC GROUPS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT ISSUES IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY, OJPC WILL TAKE ON EXCEPTIONAL LITIGATION PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS AN IMPORTANT CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ISSUE BUT DOES NOT NEATLY FIT INTO OUR EXISTING WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, DURING 2020 OJPC SOUGHT TO RECOVER PAYMENTS MADE TO PRISONERS PURSUANT TO THE CARES ACT, WHICH WERE TAKEN FROM PRISONER ACCOUNTS TO COVER PRISONER COURT COSTS. AND DURING THE PANDEMIC, OJPC BECAME INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SAFETY AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE PRESENTED RECOMMENDATIONS TO GREATER CINCINNATI REGARDING POLICING DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND A PARALLEL MOTION WAS PASSED BY CINCINNATI CITY COUNCIL. OJPC WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POLICYMAKERS IN GREATER CINCINNATI AND STATEWIDE TO ENSURE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN SYSTEMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND BETTER POLICIES AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS.POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACYOJPC CONDUCTS POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY DEVELOPMENT, AND ADVOCACY, INCLUDING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF LOBBYING, IN SERVICE OF THREE OVERARCHING OBJECTIVES: SAFELY AND SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THE SIZE AND RACIAL DISPARITY OF THE STATE PRISON POPULATION, EXPANDING THE FREEDOM OF PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES; AND PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE.