Bureau of Community Sanctions Overview

The Bureau of Community Sanctions distributes and monitors grant and contractual funds provided to local jurisdictions and private vendors to establish community sanctions and residential services for adult offenders that are re-integrating into the community or who, otherwise, would be incarcerated in local jails or state prisons. Programs funded by the Bureau include Halfway Houses, Community-Based Correctional Facilities, Community Residential Centers, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Community Corrections Act grant programs including Intensive Supervision Probation, Standard Probation, Prosecutorial Diversion, Non-Supervisory Treatment Programs, Electronic Monitoring, and Community Work Service. Additionally, the Bureau provides Justice Reinvestment and Incentive Grants, Targeted Community Alternatives to Prison Grants, and Probation Services Grants in order to alleviate voids in services. The funds and contracts managed by the Bureau are addressed in Ohio Revised Code Sections 2301.51, and Ohio Administrative Codes 5120:1-3-01 and 5120:1-5-06.

The Bureau was established by Executive Order in 1976 and was updated with a subsequent Executive Order in 1992. The Bureau’s mission is to develop and enhance community corrections programs, in partnership with state, local and private agencies, for sanctioning and treating adult offenders in the community.  The Bureau strives to ensure funds are utilized effectively through evidence based practices and supervision techniques proven to provide offenders with the oversight and skills necessary to reduce the likelihood that they will engage in further future criminal behavior.   

The Bureau of Community Sanctions, in partnership with state, local and private/non-profit agencies, develops and enhances community corrections programs utilized by local courts and the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for sanctioning and treating offenders in the community. The Bureau includes grant, placement, auditing, and support staff members located throughout the state who work directly with community providers to place and serve offenders, monitor expenditures and utilization rates, provide training, ensure compliance with standards, and provide coaching and technical assistance. The Bureau also oversees the Transitional Control and Treatment Transfer programs and Electronic Monitoring program for offenders who violate their terms of supervision. 

Duties

The Bureau is responsible for:

• Providing guidance and oversight to DRC funded halfway houses (HWHs), transitional control and electronic monitoring, community based correctional facilities (CBCFs), community residential centers (CRCs), community transitional housing programs (CTHPs), and community corrections act (CCA) programs
• Partnering and collaborating with Ohio community correction organizations such as the Ohio Community Corrections Association (OCCA), Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections (OJACC), Community Correction Act Program Director’s Association, and the CBCF Director’s Association
• Engaging in contract negotiations, and reviewing and approving grant applications for community corrections funding
• Providing capital funding for CBCFs, and oversight for building renovations and/or repairs
• Monitoring budgets, reviewing budget revisions, and approving the fiscal reports of funded programs
• Monitoring utilization rates, and compiling statistical data for research and analysis
• Placing offenders released from prison into appropriate residential facilities based on their assessed needs
• Facilitating administrative returns of transitional control and treatment transfer offenders
• Auditing all DRC funded programs to ensure compliance with audit standards, and adherence to evidence based principles
• Providing technical assistance, coaching, and training to DRC funded programs
• Providing training, guidance, and resources to the State’s HWHs and CBCFs regarding the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), including monitoring final PREA-related investigations and annual PREA audits
• Recognizing outstanding achievement within DRC funded programs

Bureau of Community Sanctions Reports

• Annual reports, fact sheets and program data statistics are compiled and used to evaluate Ohio community correction programs. These reports are posted here.

Halfway Houses

Halfway houses are community residential programs providing supervision and treatment services for offenders released from state prisons, referred by Courts of Common Pleas, or sanctioned because of a violation of conditions of supervision. Halfway houses are a vital component of Ohio’s community justice continuum providing services such as cognitive behavioral therapy, drug and alcohol treatment, electronic monitoring, job placement, educational programs, and specialized programs for sex offenders and mentally ill offenders. 

• HWH Staff and Program Directory - 10/18
• HWH Program Overview - 12/19
• Ohio Map of Halfway House locations

Permanent Supportive Housing

In February 2007, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) in Ohio announced a new supportive housing pilot, Returning Home-Ohio. This initiative is aimed at preventing entry into the homeless services system and reducing recidivism for individuals returning to Ohio’s communities from state prisons. ODRC has invested over $5 million which has been used for rental subsidies, tenant assistance, supportive services, program evaluation, and project management.

The target population includes offenders released from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections who have histories of chronic homelessness or are at-risk of homelessness upon release. Priority is given to offenders who are likely to require supportive services in order to maintain housing. This includes, but is not limited to, offenders who have severe mental illnesses, addictions, and/or development disabilities.

• Permanent Supportive Housing Directory - 01/19

Transitional Control and Treatment Transfer

Transitional Control is a prison program designed to facilitate an offender's transition back in to the community from prison. It benefits the offender and the community by providing offenders the opportunity for a more successful transition from prison while residing in a monitored environment. Inmates who are deemed eligible by the Ohio Parole Board may participate in the Transitional Control program during the final 180 days prior to their release from prison. Depending on sentence length, some inmates may require approval from the applicable sentencing judge prior to transfer. Participants in the Transitional Control program must be willing to attend and participate in programming which targets their identified individual needs. If the inmate is discovered to be inappropriate or unable to fully participate in the program, he or she can be administratively returned to prison. Transitional Control participants reside in DRC contract Halfway Houses and are monitored very closely. If a Transitional Control offender has demonstrated an adequate adjustment and is actively participating in appropriate programming, they may be stepped down to electronic monitoring in an appropriate home placement.

Treatment Transfer(TT) is a prison transfer program authorized by O.R.C. Section 5120.035 that provides a substance use disorder assessment and treatment through a licensed community treatment provider (Halfway House-HWH) to help reduce substance use relapse and recidivism for offenders convicted of felony level 4 and 5 non-violent offenses. Eligible offenders may be transferred from a state correctional facility to a HWH for up to 365 days prior to the expiration of their prison term (EST). An offender that is determined to be eligible and suitable for the TT Program will be transferred to a short-term unit at one of three ODRC institutions (Toledo Correctional Camp, Ohio State Penitentiary Camp, or Ohio Reformatory for Women). Upon moving to the short term unit, the offender will be expected to successfully complete a thirty-day Treatment Readiness Program in order to prepare for transfer to a HWH. The offender will serve the remainder of his/her prison sentence while residing at a HWH or approved Electronic Monitoring (EM) location. TT supervision at a HWH provides an offender the opportunity to transition back into the community prior to the expiration of his/her stated term while focusing on recovery needs. While at the HWH, the offender will be expected to successfully complete an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), as well as any other recommended programming based on their assessed risk and needs. While at the HWH offenders may also eligible to accrue earned credit which may reduce the time remaining on their original sentence. All offenders participating in the TT Program will be assessed a period of Post Release Control (PRC) during their supervision at the HWH/EM. Offenders will be reassessed again by the Parole Board 30 days prior to the offenders EST date/TT supervision period to determine whether or not they will be required to complete a continued period of PRC. If assessed a period of PRC after the release from the TT HWH/EM their supervision will be transferred to the Adult Parole Authority (APA).

Community Residential Centers and Community Transitional Housing Programs

Community Residential Centers and Community Transitional Housing Programs provide housing, some limited monitoring of residents, case management and community referrals for services. These programs serve offenders with no viable home placement options.

• Community Residential Center Directory - 02/20
• Community Transitional Housing Program  - 12/19
• Ohio Map of CRC  and CTHP locations​

Community Corrections Act Programs

Ohio Community Correction Act (CCA) jail and prison diversion programs are funded by the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, through the Bureau of Community Sanctions. These programs include Intensive Supervision Probation, Standard Probation, Prosecutorial Diversion, Non-Supervisory Treatment Programs, Electronic Monitoring, and Community Work Service.  CCA programs are partnerships between the State of Ohio and the Local Community Correction Planning Boards. Each CCA program is under the control of the Local Corrections Planning Board and administered by either the county or city officials. Each Planning Board is comprised of local officials representing all areas of the criminal justice system within the county. CCA non-residential programs allow local courts to sanction certain offenders in the community saving scarce prison and jail beds for violent offenders.

• CCA Staff and Program Directory - Contact the Bureau of Community Sanctions for contact information

Community Based Correctional Facilities

Community Based Correctional Facilities (CBCFs) are secure residential programs that provide comprehensive programming for offenders on felony supervision. CBCFs provide a wide range of programming addressing offender needs such as cognitive behavioral therapy, chemical dependency, education, employment, and family relationships. CBCFs are governed by a facility governing board and advised by a judicial advisory board.

• Ohio CBCF locations
• CBCF Staff and Program Directory
• CBCF Program Profiles - 12/19
• Ohio MAP of CBCF locations​

Clifford Skeen Award

The Clifford Skeen Award is presented annually to residential and non-residential programs in recognition of excellence in community corrections. The Clifford Skeen Award is a part of former Governor and former U.S. Senator Voinovich’s commitment to enhancing the quality of community corrections programs in Ohio. The award, first presented in 1993, is given in honor of the late eight-term Ohio legislator who sponsored Ohio’s Community Correction Act.

Historical list of Clifford Skeen recipients and nominees

Training Opportunities for Community Corrections Program Staff

The Bureau of Community Sanctions and the Corrections Training Academy provide training opportunities for community corrections program staff statewide. Contact the Bureau of Community Sanctions for available opportunities or click here for instructions and a link to the Ohio Learn platform.

Adult Probation Officer Training Standards

• Fiscal Year 2016 Non-DPCS Grant and Sub-Grant List
• Fiscal Year 2015 Non-DPCS Grant and Sub-Grant List
• Fiscal Year 2014 DPCS Grant and Sub-Grant list
• Fiscal Year 2014 Non-DPCS Grant and Sub-Grant List
• Fiscal Year 2012/2013 Grant and Sub-Grant List
• Fiscal Year 2011 Grant and Sub-Grant List 
• Fiscal Year 2010 Grant and Sub-Grant List
• Fiscal Year 2009 Grant and Sub-Grant List
• Fiscal Year 2008 Grant and Sub-Grant List

 

Contact:

DPCS Grants Contact	Non-DPCS Grants Contact
DPCS/Bureau of Community Sanctions Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction 4545 Fisher Road, Suite D Columbus, OH 43228 614-728-9990 Christopher.Galli@odrc.state.oh.us	Office of Grants Management Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction 4545 Fisher Road, Suite D Columbus, OH 43228 614-728-1925