A diverse crowd is advocating broad reform for Ohio’s criminal justice system.
State representatives, tax reformer Grover Norquist, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger, author Piper Kerman, and an American Civil Liberties Union official were among the crowd who wanted to improve Ohio’s criminal code, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
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“This is not about being hard or soft on crime. It’s about being smart on crime,” Senate President Keith Faber said.
The legislature recently appointed a 24-person Ohio Criminal Justice Recodification Committee to develop a comprehensive plan to improve criminal justice law in the state.
The committee comprises judges, prison officials, criminal-defense attorneys, mental health advocates, and prosecutors among others.
Better societal integration for ex-offenders, the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences, and a decrease in the incarceration level of nonviolent drug offenders and those suffering from mental-health issues were mentioned as reform goals.
The appearance of Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, represents a growing conservative push for criminal justice reform. Norquist articulated his support for reform in economic terms, and other conservative groups, such as the Texas Public Policy Institute, has approached the issue with similar rhetoric.
Alison Holcomb, the director of the ACLU’s “Campaign for Smart Justice,” expressed hope for the reform effort.
Holcomb said the effort “could be the best chance to improve the state’s criminal justice system” and “we do know that this is an historic and potentially groundbreaking endeavor.”
Kerman, who gained fame from her book becoming the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” has promoted sentencing and parole reform since her release from prison.
The legislature expects recommendations from the committee within 18 months. With the effort, Ohio could become a model for prison reform that reduces crime and lowers imprisonment costs.
