News & Press - Catholic Conference of Ohio

CCO supported Senate Bill 198, sponsored by Senators George Lang (R-West Chester) and Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), unanimously passed the Ohio House of Representatives on December 11, 2024. The bill would provide inmates with state identification cards and documentation upon their release relating to work experience, education, and trade skills. SB 198 previously passed the Ohio Senate with a unanimous vote of 31-0 in June 2024, and now goes to the desk of Governor DeWine. The CCO believes the bill will help recently incarcerated inmates to readjust to their communities and contribute to the common good.

House Bill 50 (sponsored by State Representatives Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus) and Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati)), which creates a certificate of qualification for housing (CQH) for the formerly incarcerated, was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine. The Catholic Conference of Ohio supported HB 50, noting that, “Restoration demands that we respond to the victims of crime with care and compassion, but the full administration of justice is impossible unless we also attend to the dignity of those returning from prison. … Becoming a tenant is one of the most important steps a formerly incarcerated person takes in their reintegration, and failure to do so dramatically increases the likelihood of recidivism.”

Two bills supported by the Catholic Conference of Ohio are moving forward to the next stage in the legislative process.  House Bill 7, the Strong Foundations Act, passed the Ohio House of Representatives and will now go to the Ohio Senate. HB 7 supports Ohio mothers and babies in their first one thousand days to address maternal and infant mortality and to improve health, developmental, and learning outcomes. Programs it funds include Healthy Beginnings at Home, which helps pregnant women maintain stable housing, and the Help Me Grow program, which provides parent support and education to improve maternal and child health and encourage positive parenting.

Senate Bill 198, which provides inmates with state identification cards and documentation upon their release relating to work experience, education, and trade skills, was passed out of the Small Business and Economic Opportunity Senate Committee. It will now go to the Ohio Senate floor for a vote.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of House Bill 460, the Getting Rehabilitated Ohioans Working (GROW) Act, which would allow for the automatic sealing of certain criminal records. The Catholic Church calls for public policies that ensure justice while directing the criminal justice system to achieve its ends of rehabilitation and restoration. This bill does both without compromising the demands of reparation following a criminal conviction. Click “Read more” for the full testimony.

In addition, House Bill 50 to create a certificate of qualification for housing (CQH) for the formerly incarcerated, was passed by the Senate on Wednesday, May 8. The bill now goes to Governor DeWine for his approval as the Ohio House of Representatives passed HB 50 on May 24, 2023. 

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified this week in support of Senate Bill 198, which would provide inmates with state identification cards and documentation upon their release relating to work experience, education, and trade skills. The Bureau of Justice Statistics finds that three out of five of those once incarcerated struggle with unemployment, in part due to the difficulty of procuring necessary documentation. Providing applications for identification cards, copies of training records, a birth certificate, and other documents that assist a returning citizen in obtaining employment will yield manifold benefits, both for those involved in the justice system and beyond. Click "Read more" to view the full testimony.

CCO testified in the Senate Committee for Community Revitalization in support of House Bill 50 to create a certificate of qualification for housing (CQH) for the formerly incarcerated, noting that, “Restoration demands that we respond to the victims of crime with care and compassion, but the full administration of justice is impossible unless we also attend to the dignity of those returning from prison. … Becoming a tenant is one of the most important steps a formerly incarcerated person takes in their reintegration, and failure to do so dramatically increases the likelihood of recidivism.”

Governor DeWine issued three more execution reprieves.  He stated in his order that this was due to ongoing problems involving the willingness of pharmaceutical suppliers to provide drugs to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC).  The Governor has issued a total of 24 death penalty reprieves.

The Conference commends this action.

The Ohio Attorney General’s 2020 Ohio Capital Crimes Annual Report, released on April 1, 2021, criticized the state’s death-penalty system as “increasingly time-consuming, costly, and lethargic.” (Read the Analysis by the Death Penalty Information Center)

The Diocesan Catholic Prison Ministry Directors and Coordinator throughout Ohio issued an open letter to Governor Mike DeWine, ODRC Director Annette M Chamber-Smith, ODRC Religious Services Administrator Mike Davis, Ohio Prison Wardens, and Ohio Prison Chaplains.  The letter offers prayers and encouragements, along with recommendations for further collaborations during this time of COVID-19.

"In this unprecedented and challenging time, we offer you our prayers, our hopes, and our recommitment to stand with you, as together, we pursue ways to safely offer spiritual ministry to inmates and their families. We deeply appreciate your public service and the ongoing support you offer to each of us..."

The FIRST STEP Act provides meaningful reform to our nation’s mandatory minimum sentences and “three-strike” policies. This reform provides a more just and equitable criminal justice system. In addition, the Act provides valuable incentives for prisoners to participate in vocational and rehabilitative programs helping to prepare them for reintegration into society. The Act also reauthorizes the Second Chance Act which provides access to meaningful local and faith-based programs that help returning citizens contribute to their communities and families.

The Ohio Legislature is expected to return on December 19 and December 27 to wrap up the 132nd General Assembly.  Legislation not passed by January 1, 2019, must be reintroduced in the next Assembly. Much will depend upon whether the House and Senate will attempt to override any Governor vetoes (including vetoes made in the 2017 budget bill).  The Governor has indicated that he may veto the Heartbeat bill (HB 258), the gun bill (HB 228) and the pay raise bill (SB 296).  The Senate needs 20 votes to override; the House needs 60.