Rule 5120-9-61 | Registration of nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations.
(A) Nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations that wish to enter institutions under the control of the department for the purpose of providing reentry services to inmates shall be first registered with the department upon the approval of the director. For the purposes of this rule, reentry services may include, but are not limited to, counseling, housing, job-placement, and money-management assistance.
(B) For the purposes of registration with the department, the nonprofit organization shall submit a written application, in a form or manner as determined by the department, for the purposes of screening. The department shall post a department telephone number on the department's official internet web site that nonprofit organizations may call to obtain information. The submission shall include the following information:
(1) The name of the organization;
(2) The principal contact person for the organization;
(3) The mailing address for the organization;
(4) A statement regarding the organization's history, mission and objectives, and;
(5) A statement regarding what reentry services the organization can provide and how the organization will present these services within an institution.
(C) A nonprofit organization may be registered with the department to provide reentry services to inmates if it can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department the following:
(1) A commitment to the principles of inmate reentry, with regard for the rights of victims and public safety;
(2) A willingness to comply with the department's administrative rules and policies regarding security, visitation, and volunteers in the institutions;
(3) The ability to consistently provide reentry services to the inmate population targeted, which will be identified through agreement with the department;
(4) A continuing commitment to provide reentry services in a manner that is professional, respectful of both inmates and department staff, and will not bring discredit to the department or the state of Ohio.
(D) The decision of the director regarding the registration of a nonprofit organization to provide reentry services is solely within the discretion of the director. The director may consider any factor the director deems relevant regarding the suitability of the organization to be registered to provide reentry services. The department may terminate the registration of a nonprofit organization if, in the judgment of the director, the organization has compromised the safety and security of an institution, failed to abide by the rules and policies of the department, or otherwise been found unsuitable to provide reentry services.
(E) The department shall maintain, on its internet web site, a list of all the nonprofit faith-based, business, professional, civic, educational, and community organizations that are registered with the department under this rule. The department shall not endorse or sponsor any faith-based reentry program or endorse any specific religious message. The department may not require an inmate to participate in a faith-based program.
Last updated March 24, 2023 at 10:52 AM
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