Columbus, OH – The Criminal Justice Recodification Committee released its final report today outlining recommendations to the Ohio General Assembly on how to fix Ohio’s criminal code. The report includes recommendations on sentencing reform, drug law reform, and policies that can assist former offenders on their journey to stay on the straight and narrow.
A leader in the area of criminal justice reform, The Buckeye Institute’s Daniel J. Dew worked with the committee’s chairman, Judge Fred Pepple, and his staff to provide research and support on key reforms. Dew said of the committee’s work, “After decades of piecemeal legislation, the Ohio criminal code is bloated, inconsistent, and difficult to understand—even for lawyers. The Recodification Committee was given the herculean task of fixing it. A little more than two years and nearly 4,000 pages later, the committee has released its final report and we applaud each member for their effort and final product.”
The committee began its work in May 2015, which consisted of well-respected practitioners from around the state, including judges, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, law enforcement officers, and prison officials. Some of the report’s most notable recommendations are:
Criminal intent standards were added and strengthened to ensure criminal laws only capture bad actors;
Many mandatory minimum penalties that hinder a judge’s ability to ensure the punishment fits the crime were eliminated; and
Twenty-six sections of Title 29 were eliminated or merged for convenience or redundancy.
“Lots of experience and brain power went into this report,” said Dew. “And we hope policymakers will use it to make Ohio safer and more just.”
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