Section 2301.51 - Community-based correctional proposals(A)(1) Any county that has a population of two hundred thousand or more is eligible to formulate a community-based correctional proposal pursuant to this section that, upon implementation, would provide a community-based correctional facility and program for the use of that county's court of common pleas in accordance with sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code. Any county that has a population of two hundred thousand or more is eligible to formulate more than one community-based correctional proposal pursuant to this section upon approval of the director of rehabilitation and correction. In determining whether to grant approval to formulate more than one proposal, the director shall consider the rate at which the county commits felony offenders to the state correctional system. If a county formulates more than one proposal, each proposal shall be for a separate community-based correctional facility and program.(2) Two or more adjoining or neighboring counties that have an aggregate population of two hundred thousand or more are eligible to formulate a district community-based correctional proposal pursuant to this section that, upon implementation, would provide a district community-based correctional facility and program for the use of those counties' courts of common pleas in accordance with sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code. Two or more adjoining or neighboring counties that have an aggregate population of two hundred thousand or more are eligible to formulate more than one district community-based correctional proposal upon approval of the director of rehabilitation and correction. In determining whether to grant approval for more than one proposal, the director shall consider the rate at which the counties commit felony offenders to the state correctional system. If two or more adjoining or neighboring counties formulate more than one proposal, each proposal shall be for a separate district community-based correctional facility and program.(3)(a) The formulation of a proposal for a community-based correctional facility or a district community-based correctional facility shall begin by the establishment of a judicial advisory board by judgment entry. The judicial advisory board shall consist of not less than three judges. Each general division judge of the court of common pleas in the county or counties wishing to formulate a proposal or to continue operation of an existing facility is eligible to become a member of the judicial advisory board but is not required to do so. In addition, a judicial advisory board may invite a non-general division judge of a court of common pleas from within the county or counties proposing the creation of a community-based correctional facility or district community-based correctional facility or a general division judge of a court of common pleas from outside the county or counties proposing the creation of a community-based correctional facility or district community-based correctional facility who regularly sends offenders to its facility to become a member of that judicial advisory board.(b) A judge shall not receive any additional compensation for service on a judicial advisory board, but a judge may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred as a result of service on the board. Service of a judge on a judicial advisory board pursuant to this section is a judicial function.(c) There shall be a facility governing board for each community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program, whose members shall be appointed in accordance with division (E) of this section. The judicial advisory board shall meet at least once a year to provide advice to the facility governing board regarding the public safety needs of the community, admission criteria for any community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program, and the general requirements of the community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program. The judicial advisory board may meet as often as considered necessary by its members, may communicate directly with the division of parole and community services of the department of rehabilitation and correction, and may provide advice to the facility governing board specifically regarding the agreement entered into between the facility governing board and the division of parole and community services pursuant to section 5120.112 of the Revised Code.
(4) A facility governing board shall formulate the proposal for a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program and shall govern the facility.(5) Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code applies to the county or counties served by a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program established and operated under sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code, to the community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program so established and operated, and to the facility governing board of the community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program so established and operated.(6) The members of the judicial advisory board and of the facility governing board of a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program established and operated under sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code shall be considered to be public officials or employees for purposes of Chapter 102. of the Revised Code and public officials or public servants for purposes of sections 2921.42 and 2921.43 of the Revised Code.(7) Each member of a facility governing board of a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program established and operated under sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code shall attend orientation training developed by the judicial advisory board of the community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program, as well as annual ethics training developed by the judicial advisory board in consultation with the Ohio ethics commission or provided by the Ohio ethics commission.(8) A community-based correctional facility and program or a district community-based correctional facility and program established by a judicial corrections board under a prior version of this section shall continue to exist under its existing contractual arrangements but, on and after the effective date of this amendment, shall be governed by a facility governing board and advised by a judicial advisory board created according to this section. Appointments to the facility governing board shall be made in accordance with the appointment procedure set forth in division (E) of this section. The judicial advisory board and the board or boards of county commissioners of the member counties shall make their respective appointments within thirty days after the effective date of this amendment.(B)(1) Each proposal for the establishment of a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program that is formulated pursuant to division (A) of this section shall be submitted by the facility governing board to the division of parole and community services for its approval under section 5120.10 of the Revised Code.(2) No person shall be sentenced to or placed in a community-based correctional facility and program or to a district community-based correctional facility and program by a court pursuant to section 2929.16 or 2929.17 of the Revised Code or by the parole board pursuant to section 2967.28 of the Revised Code, or otherwise committed or admitted to a facility and program of that type until after the proposal for the establishment of the facility and program has been approved by the division of parole and community services under section 5120.10 of the Revised Code. A person shall be sentenced to a facility and program of that type only pursuant to a sanction imposed by a court pursuant to section 2929.16 or 2929.17 of the Revised Code as the sentence or as any part of the sentence of the person or otherwise shall be committed or referred to a facility and program of that type only when authorized by law.(C) Upon the approval by the division of parole and community services of a proposal for the establishment of a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program submitted to it under division (B) of this section, the facility governing board that submitted the proposal may establish and operate the facility and program addressed by the proposal in accordance with the approved proposal and division (B)(2) of this section. The facility governing board may submit a request for funding of some or all of its community-based correctional facilities and programs or district community-based correctional facilities and programs to the board of county commissioners of the county, if the facility governing board serves a community-based correctional facility and program, or to the boards of county commissioners of all of the member counties, if the facility governing board serves a district community-based correctional facility and program. The board or boards may appropriate, but are not required to appropriate, a sum of money for funding all aspects of each facility and program as outlined in sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code. The facility governing board has no recourse against a board or boards of county commissioners if the board or boards of county commissioners do not appropriate money for funding any facility and program or if they appropriate money for funding a facility and program in an amount less than the total amount of the submitted request for funding.(D)(1) If a court of common pleas that is being served by a community-based correctional facility and program established pursuant to division (C) of this section determines that it no longer wants to be served by the facility and program, the facility governing board, upon the advice of the judicial advisory board, may dissolve the facility and program by notifying, in writing, the division of parole and community services of the determination to dissolve the facility and program. If the court is served by more than one community-based correctional facility and program, the facility governing board, upon the advice of the judicial advisory board, may dissolve some or all of the facilities and programs and, if it does not dissolve all of the facilities and programs, the facility governing board shall continue the operation of the remaining facilities and programs.(2) If all of the courts of common pleas being served by any district community-based correctional facility and program established pursuant to division (C) of this section determine that they no longer want to be served by the facility and program, the facility governing board, upon the advice of the judicial advisory board, may dissolve the facility and program by notifying, in writing, the division of parole and community services of the determination to dissolve the facility and program. If the courts are served by more than one district community-based correctional facility and program, the facility governing board, upon the advice of the judicial advisory board, may dissolve some or all of the facilities and programs, and, if it does not dissolve all of the facilities and programs, it shall continue the operation of the remaining facilities and programs.(3) If at least one, but not all, of the courts of common pleas being served by one or more district community-based correctional facilities and programs established pursuant to division (C) of this section determines that it no longer wants to be served by the facilities and programs, the court may terminate its involvement with each of the facilities and programs by entering upon the journal of the court the fact of the determination to terminate its involvement with the facilities and programs and by the court notifying, in writing, the division of parole and community services of the determination to terminate its involvement with the facilities and programs. If at least one, but not all, of the courts of common pleas being served by one or more district community-based correctional facilities and programs terminates its involvement with each of the facilities and programs in accordance with this division, the other courts of common pleas being served by the facilities and programs may continue to be served by each of the facilities and programs. A court may use a facility and program by remaining as a member county of the district community-based correctional facility and program or by making a written service agreement with the facility governing board without remaining as a member county.
(E) A facility governing board of a community-based correctional facility and program shall consist of at least six members, each member serving a three-year term. A facility governing board of a district community-based correctional facility and program shall consist of at least six members, each member serving a three-year term, except that not more than one-half of the members shall be from any one county. The judicial advisory board shall appoint two-thirds of the members, and the board or boards of county commissioners of the member counties shall appoint the remaining one-third, or portion thereof, of the members. Of the initial appointments, one-third of the members shall be appointed for a one-year term, one-third of the members shall be appointed for a two-year term, and the remaining one-third or portion thereof of the members shall be appointed for a three-year term. Thereafter, terms of persons appointed to the facility governing board shall be for a three-year term, with each term ending on the same day of the same month of the year as did the term it succeeds.
(F) Any member of a facility governing board may be reappointed to serve additional terms. Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the same manner as provided for original appointments. Any member of the board who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the predecessor's term. Members of the board shall not receive compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred as a result of service on the board.(G) Nothing in this section, sections 2301.52 to 2301.58, or section 5120.10, 5120.111, or 5120.122 of the Revised Code modifies or affects or shall be interpreted as modifying or affecting sections 5149.30 to 5149.37 of the Revised Code.Effective Date: 3/30/1999; 10/12/2006 .