OJACC Past President’s Message

Promoting Community Based Corrections

Volume 14Number 1Winter 2014

Table of Contents

OJACC President’s Message ............................. 2

2013 OJACC Conference Report ....................... 3

2013 Conference Exhibitors ............................... 4

2013 Conference Committee .............................. 4

2013 OJACC Awards ......................................... 5

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and

Correction’s 2013 Cliff Skeen Awards ................ 6

At The Statehouse .............................................. 7

2014 OJACC Membership Application ............... 9

Honorable Keith M. Spaeth

OJACC – Getting to Yes

In 1981, Roger Fisher and William Ury wrote a book entitled, Getting to Yes, which outlines principles and methods for building consensus and securing agreement. OJACC and its membership are likewise integral to the process of Getting To Yes when it comes to the adoption of improvements to community corrections and the promotion of public safety. OJACC’s broad based membership includes representation from all branches of Ohio government and key stakeholders within the State’s criminal justice system. OJACC members serve a critical role as mediators between government branches and agencies that are often steeped in tradition, entrenched in their positions and resistant to change.

OJACC has consistently engaged in and promoted the tactics suggested by Fisher and Ury:

Chapter 2: “Separate The People From The Problem.” Chapter 3: “Focus on Interest, Not Positions.”Chapter 4: “Invent Options for Mutual Gain.” Chapter 5: “Insist on Objective Criteria.”

The collegiality developed among OJACC members provides a strong foundation to promote communication and remove suspicions of diabolical intentions of other actors. That same foundation results in discussions which are focused on the interest of increasing public safety by the promotion of evidence based community control innovations and away from parochial concerns of particular agencies or branches of government.

Each of us, through our membership in OJACC, plays a role as mediator. Our collective contributions have and will encourage office holders and stakeholders to look at the merits of evidence based community corrections improvements and to Get To Yes.

Keith M. Spaeth,Past President

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OJACC Newsletter

OJACC President – Anne Connell-Freund

OJACC First Vice President – Hon. Nancy A. Fuerst

OJACC Vice Presiden – Hon. Jim Slagle

OJACC Treasurer – Terry Grabowski

OJACC Secretary – Sharon Weitzenhof

OJACC Newsletter Editor – Kristina Hawk

SubmissionsThe OJACC Newsletter is a quarterlypublication of the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corections. Subscription is free to all members.

The OJACC Newsletter encourages the submission of articles dealing with all aspects of community corrections. Articles must be relatively brief. OJACC reserves the right to edit articles for space considerations and reserves the discretion to select which articles to publish.

Points of view expressed in this Newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of OJACC.

How to reach usPlease send all articles and letters to:Cheryl TaylorOJACC Organizational CoordinatorPost Office Box 849Pataskala, OH 43062Phone: (740) 420-6444E-mail: tctaylor@mac.com

AdvertisingOJACC Newsletter accepts paid advertising. All inquiries regarding advertising should be directed to:

Cheryl TaylorOJACC Organizational CoordinatorPost Office Box 849Pataskala, OH 43062Phone: (740) 420-6444E-mail: tctaylor@mac.com

OJACC President’s Message

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

And that is how change happens, one gesture, one person, one organization at a time. I am honored and proud to be the new President of the Ohio Justice Alliance in Community Corrections (OJACC). It amazes me to look back and see the changes that have taken place in community corrections since I started working in this field 28 years ago. Collectively, our array of members throughout the criminal justice system gives us a voice that is heard throughout the State of Ohio.

The partnerships and networking available through OJACC can benefit every member and organization professionally. We are facing a time when most budgets are the tightest they have ever been, prisons are the most crowded, and a high number of people are returning to our communities where they are finding it difficult to obtain work and reintegrate successfully back into our communities.

Now is our time; OJACC can continue to make an impact. We have come a long way since OJACC was founded 40 years ago, with a justice system that has expanded to offer specialty courts and is mindful of the benefits of rehabilitation and how programs can reduce recidivism. I marvel at what will and can happen in the next 40 years and am honored to be part of an alliance that continues to refine the role community corrections plays in our criminal justice system.

We need to make sure community corrections programs are being used wisely for the right offenders and we need to keep evaluating research to improve what is working. The expertise spanned across our membership can be tapped to develop successful ways to reduce prison overcrowding, shape public policy, and work with local communities to effectively help families reunite. The opportunities that lie ahead for us and for the individuals we serve are limitless. I hope you share my excitement as we continue moving forward in our efforts.

Anne Connell-Freund

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2013 OJACC Conference ReportBy Maria Nemec, Conference Chairperson

The Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections held its 27th annual OJACC Conference on October 10th and 12th, 2013 in Columbus Ohio. Over 300 community corrections practitioners attended the conference focused on “Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Recovery”.

The two-day conference workshops focused on practices proven by research to improve outcomes and reduce criminal risk in the community corrections population. Conference attendees were presented with information and skills to assist individuals under correctional control or supervision to reduce recidivism and address their behavioral health needs.

We were extremely fortunate to receive funding support for the conference from the Office of Criminal Justice Services and the Attorney General’s Office. We wish to thank all the presenters and vendors who donated their time and expertise to make the conference a success. Forty-six presenters provided twenty-one concurrent workshops.

Workshops topics included: Behavioral Management System in Residential and Non-residential Settings, Case Planning, Use of Incentives/Sanctions, Addressing Probation Violations, Transitional Control, Medication Assisted Treatment, Trauma Informed Care, Co-occurring Disorders, Barriers to Recovery, Designer Drugs and Interventions for Substance Abuse. Highlights of the conference included opening sessions, one of which was a presentation by ex-offenders who have experienced drug addiction, multiple attempts at treatment and multiple jail stays describing their personal journey through the criminal justice system and their roads to recovery. Their presentation provided validation and motivation to continue to do the work that we do and the inspiration to make relevant changes in our own lives. The second opening session, presented by Dr. Sarah Manchak focused on how important the relationships we establish are to successful outcomes.

The OJACC Achievement Awards luncheon honored the following:

• Honorable Luann Cooperrider with the Perry County Juvenile Court, Probate Division, recipient of the C.J. McLin award;

• Sara Andrews Deputy Director, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction recipient of the Dr. Bennett J. Cooper award;

• Melissa Litteral, Director Green County Adult Probation, recipient of the Dr. Simon Dinitz award;

• Corey Schaal, Research Analyst in the Judicial Services Division of the Ohio Supreme Court recipient of the Jim Wickman award.

The ODRC Clifford Skeen Awards were presented in conjunction with luncheon. 2013 Cliff Skeen Award were presented to the following: Community-Based Correctional Facility, Lucas County Correctional Treatment Facility; Halfway House, Volunteers of America Greater Ohio Mansfield; Prison Diversion Program, Hancock County Adult Probation Department; and Jail Diversion Program, Clermont County Municipal Court Adult Probation Department. Congratulations to all the award winners!

The 2014 Annual Conference October 16-17, 2014

Columbus, OH

We hope you can join us!

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2013 Conference Exhibitors

ACLU of OhioNon-Profit Organization

Alcoholics Anonymous OHNot For Profit Recovery Fellowship

AMCADCourt Case Management and Jail Management

BI, IncorporatedElectronic Monitoring Equipment and Reentry Services

CMIComputer Software for Courts and Probation

Combined Public CommunicationsInmate Telephone Services

LifeSafer Interlock, Inc.Ignition Interlock

Lifeloc Technologies, Inc.Breath Alcohol Test Equipment

Narcotics Anonymous (% O.R.S.C.N.A)Non-profit

Neil Kennedy Recovery ClinicDrug and Alcohol Treatment

Ohio AMSElectronic Monitoring

Redwood Toxicology Laboratory, Inc.Drug Testing Kits and Laboratory Drug Testing

SecurManageSoftware

Smart Start of OhioIgnition Interlock/Alcohol Monitoring

Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource CenterHealthcare Association

The Village NetworkChild and Family Services

White Deer Run/Cove Forge/Bowling GreenDrug and Alcohol Treatment Provider

2013 Conference Committee

Thanks to this year’s conference committee.

Maria Nemec - ChairpersonCuyahoga County Corrections Planning Board

Molly BreninghouseCuyahoga County Adult Probation

Honorable Joyce CampbellFairfield Municipal Court

Anne Connell-FreundOriana House

Gayle DittmerFranklin County Adult Probation Department

Terry GrabowskiGeauga County Sheriff’s Office

Lois HochstetlerAlvis House

Phil NunesVOA of Greater Ohio

Dan PetercaCuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas

Corey SchaalSupreme Court of Ohio

Honorable Keith SpaethButler County Court of Common Pleas

Scott SylakMHRSB of Lucas County

Lisa TitusRiver City Correctional Center

Sharon WeitzenhofJuvenile Justice Coalition

Cheryl J. TaylorOJACC Organizational Coordinator

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2013 OJACC AwardsBy Lois Hochstetler

A highlight of the OJACC conference is the Achievement Awards Luncheon. Individuals who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to the OJACC mission are presented with awards in one of four categories. 2013 OJACC Awards include:

The Honorable Luann Cooperrider received the Representative C. J. McLin Award for her work as an elected official in Ohio who has worked toward the improvement of community corrections in Ohio. Judge Cooperrider has served as a Perry County Probate-Juvenile Judge since 1991 and worked for eleven years in support of the building of the Perry Multi-County Juvenile Facility. This facility provides a valuable service to youth from southeastern Ohio in a facility built specifically to meet their needs.

Sara Andrews received the Dr. Bennett J. Cooper Award, which is given to a correctional administrator who has shown a lifetime commitment to the improvement of community corrections. Ms. Andrews was recognized for her cooperative relationship with state-wide stakeholders, extensive knowledge of the criminal justice field and for her calm demeanor. She serves as the Managing Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.

Melissa Litteral received the Dr. Simon Dinitz Award, which is given to a community correctional practitioner who has made significant contributions to the improvement of community corrections in Ohio. In her role as the Director of the Greene County Adult Probation Department, Ms. Litteral has lead the department in implementing evidence-based programming and utilizing updated training and technology, which has been recognized by awards and with certification from the American Correctional Association.

Corey Schaal received the James Wichtman Award which honors an OJACC Board Member who has dedicated themselves to the OJACC mission. Mr. Schaal has served tirelessly on the OJACC Board for more than 10 years and has served as the chair/co-chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee for most of that time. He serves as a Research Analyst in the Judicial Services Division of the Ohio Supreme Court.

The OJACC Board would like to, once again, extend its appreciation for the many years of hard work and dedication demonstrated by the recipients of the 2013 OJACC Achievement Awards.

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The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) held the 21st annual Clifford Skeen Awards Ceremony on October 10, 2013 during the annual Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections (OJACC) conference at the Crowne Plaza North in Columbus.

This award is given in honor of the late, eight-term Ohio Representative, Clifford Skeen, who sponsored the Community Correction Act passed by the Ohio Legislature in 1979. The purpose of this act was to reduce the number of non-dangerous offenders being sent to state prisons. Representative Skeen was instrumental in obtaining increased funding for many community corrections initiatives. The Clifford Skeen Award was initiated in 1993 to demonstrate commitment to community corrections as a viable alternative to incarceration.

ODRC Director Gary Mohr spoke before the awards were presented, emphasizing the important role that community corrections programs play in assisting the Department to achieve its goal of reducing the prison population. He also acknowledged the efforts that all of Ohio’s community corrections programs make in working with offenders to better their lives while keeping our communities safe and thanked attendees for their ongoing efforts that make Ohio a leader in national and international community corrections.

The selection committee was comprised of last year’s Cliff Skeen recipients represented by Kim Knossaman, Chief Probation Officer Bryan Municipal Court, Gary Yates, Director of Court Services Butler County Common Pleas Court, Cary Williams, Northwest Community Corrections Center, Lois Hochstetler, Alvis House and Chris Galli, Chief of the Bureau of Community Sanctions. They recommended the award recipients after conducting individualized interviews of Ohio’s top scoring programs in each category. The panel selected the following programs as the 2013 Clifford Skeen Award recipients:

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s 2013 Cliff Skeen Awards

• Community-Based Correctional Facility: Lucas County Corrections Treatment Facility

• Halfway House: VOA of Greater Ohio Mansfield

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• Prison Diversion Program: Hancock County Adult Probation Department

• Jail Diversion Program: Clermont County Municipal Court Probation Department

The Department’s vision for community corrections is that of a collaborative and cooperative partnership between state and local agencies. The Clifford Skeen Awards highlight our successes in this vitally important area. The award ceremony is just one opportunity for the Department to recognize local programs for the outstanding work they do on a daily basis to provide alternatives to prison and jails and ensure safe communities.

Since the end of summer, the members of the General Assembly returned from their post-budget summer break and have had an active fall and early winter. The main focus has centered on the Governor’s expansion of Medicaid via approval through the Controlling Board, a quasi-legislative/executive branch body. The General Assembly was unable to pass either the budget bill or a stand-alone piece of legislation with expansion attached. A lawsuit filed by several members of the Ohio House, and others, had challenged the authority of the expansion without approval of the General Assembly. However, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled on December 20 in a 4-3 opinion that the Controlling Board did not violate the law when it approved the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s request for increased appropriation authority to accept federal Medicaid funds available to the state under the federal health care law.

There are 2 bills, clean-up measures – which are of particular interest to OJACC members.

First, Senate Bill 143, sponsored by Senator Bill Seitz, is a bill to address issues that have arisen from the Collateral Sanctions Bill, SB 337, passed last session. The bill was passed out of the Senate by a vote of 31 – 2 on November 19 and had its first hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on January 15. Among the bills current provisions, it would:

• Allow for the release of conviction information on those charged with crimes other than murder, aggravated murder and sexual conduct, especially helpful to those who hire individuals to work with children or other vulnerable populations;

• Clarify language on county alternative treatment centers;

• Authorize the sealing of records involving acquitted charges;

• Increases to three years the maximum sentence a person can face before working in a prison nursery;

At the Statehouse: Since Last SummerCorey Schaal, OJACC Advocacy/Policy Committee Chair

Continued on page 8...

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• Allow courts to order restitution if a person driving under suspension or cancellation fails to provide proof of financial responsibility;

• Update requirements regarding testing for HIV of people charged city certain sex offenses, and;

• Provide qualified immunity in some cases for public officials who mistakenly release information from a sealed or expunged record.

Second, House Bill 251, sponsored by Representative Nick Barborak, is a bill to specifically address the narrow sentencing provisions that generally provided for community control sanctions for most fourth and fifth degree felonies which was a central pillar of HB 86 – the Justice Reinvestment Initiative also passed last session. The bill would give discretion back to judges and is supported by members of the judiciary and by the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. The bill had four hearings in the House Judiciary Committee before the end of the year. Aside from this provision, the bill does not currently make any other changes to provisions found in House Bill 86.

Aside from those two bills, the issue that is a bit of a hot topic in the General Assembly is drug addiction – especially to opioids. A bill proposal which has previously appeared before in a similar form is Senate Bill 182 which would require the Director of Job and Family Services to operate an Ohio Works First drug testing pilot program – drug testing welfare recipients. In response to Senator Tim Schaffer’s proposal, Senator Nina Turner introduced, somewhat tongue-in cheek, Senate Bill 212 which would establish a controlled substance assessments and testing program for members of the General Assembly.

The following ten recently introduced bills also address opioid-addiction:

• HB 314 would require a prescriber to obtain written informed consent from a minor’s parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the minor before issuing a controlled substance prescription to the minor and to establish sanctions for a prescriber’s failure to comply with this requirement.

• HB 332 would establish standards and

procedures for opioid treatment of chronic, intractable pain resulting from non-cancer conditions and to require that professional disciplinary action be taken for failing to comply with those standards and procedures.

• HB 341 would prohibit a controlled substance that is a schedule II drug or contains opioids from being prescribed or dispensed without review of patient information in the State Board of Pharmacy’s Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System.

• HB 359 would require disclosure of the addictive nature of certain prescription drugs.

• HB 363 would provide an immunity from arrest, prosecution, conviction, or supervised release sanctioning for a minor drug possession offense for a person who seeks or obtains medical assistance for self or another person who is experiencing a medical emergency as a result of ingesting drugs or alcohol or for a person who is experiencing such a medical emergency and for whom medical assistance is sought.

• HB 366 would require hospice care programs to establish procedures to prevent diversion of controlled substances that contain opioids.

• HB 367 would require the health curriculum of each school district to include instruction in prescription opioid abuse prevention.

• HB 369 would require the Medicaid program and health insurers to cover certain services for recipients with opioid addictions; establish requirements for boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services regarding treatment services for opioid addiction to help defray payroll costs associated with a court’s employment of drug court case managers; provide a state share of the capital costs of recovery housing projects; and to make appropriations for these expanded services.

• HB 378 would prohibit a physician from prescribing or personally furnishing certain drugs to treat opioid dependence or addiction unless the patient is receiving appropriate behavioral counseling or treatment.

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• HB 399 would designate the first Friday of May as “Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness and Education Day.”

Of these recently introduced measures, the last seven are sponsored or co-sponsored by Representative Robert Sprague of Findlay.

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