Section 2929.34 | Where imprisonment to be served.
(A) A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to aggravated murder, murder, or an offense punishable by life imprisonment and who is sentenced to a term of life imprisonment or a prison term pursuant to that conviction shall serve that term in an institution under the control of the department of rehabilitation and correction.
(B)(1) A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony other than aggravated murder, murder, or an offense punishable by life imprisonment and who is sentenced to a term of imprisonment or a prison term pursuant to that conviction shall serve that term as follows:
(a) Subject to divisions (B)(1)(b), (B)(2), and (B)(3) of this section, in an institution under the control of the department of rehabilitation and correction if the term is a prison term or as otherwise determined by the sentencing court pursuant to section 2929.16 of the Revised Code if the term is not a prison term;
(b) In a facility of a type described in division (G)(1) of section 2929.13 of the Revised Code, if the offender is sentenced pursuant to that division.
(2) If the term is a prison term, the person may be imprisoned in a jail that is not a minimum security jail pursuant to agreement under section 5120.161 of the Revised Code between the department of rehabilitation and correction and the local authority that operates the jail.
(3)(a) As used in divisions (B)(3)(a) to (d) of this section:
(i) "Target county" means Franklin county, Cuyahoga county, Hamilton county, Summit county, Montgomery county, Lucas county, Butler county, Stark county, Lorain county, and Mahoning county.
(ii) "Voluntary county" means any county in which the board of county commissioners of the county and the administrative judge of the general division of the court of common pleas of the county enter into an agreement of the type described in division (B)(3)(b) of this section and in which the agreement has not been terminated as described in that division.
(b) In any county other than a target county, the board of county commissioners of the county and the administrative judge of the general division of the court of common pleas of the county may agree to having the county participate in the procedures regarding local and state confinement established under division (B)(3)(c) of this section. A board of county commissioners and an administrative judge of a court of common pleas that enter into an agreement of the type described in this division may terminate the agreement, but a termination under this division shall take effect only at the end of the state fiscal biennium in which the termination decision is made.
(c) Except as provided in division (B)(3)(d) of this section, on and after July 1, 2018, no person sentenced by the court of common pleas of a target county or of a voluntary county to a prison term that is twelve months or less for a felony of the fifth degree shall serve the term in an institution under the control of the department of rehabilitation and correction. The person shall instead serve the sentence as a term of confinement in a facility of a type described in division (C) or (D) of this section. Nothing in this division relieves the state of its obligation to pay for the cost of confinement of the person in a community-based correctional facility under division (D) of this section.
(d) Division (B)(3)(c) of this section does not apply to any person to whom any of the following apply:
(i) The felony of the fifth degree was an offense of violence, as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code, a sex offense under Chapter 2907. of the Revised Code, a violation of section 2925.03 of the Revised Code, or any offense for which a mandatory prison term is required.
(ii) The person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any felony offense of violence, as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code, unless the felony of the fifth degree for which the person is being sentenced is a violation of division (I)(1) of section 2903.43 of the Revised Code.
(iii) The person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any felony sex offense under Chapter 2907. of the Revised Code.
(iv) The person's sentence is required to be served concurrently to any other sentence imposed upon the person for a felony that is required to be served in an institution under the control of the department of rehabilitation and correction.
(C) A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to one or more misdemeanors and who is sentenced to a jail term or term of imprisonment pursuant to the conviction or convictions shall serve that term in a county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse; in a community alternative sentencing center or district community alternative sentencing center when authorized by section 307.932 of the Revised Code; or, if the misdemeanor or misdemeanors are not offenses of violence, in a minimum security jail.
(D) Nothing in this section prohibits the commitment, referral, or sentencing of a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony to a community-based correctional facility.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 30, 2011 – House Bill 86 - 129th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2011 Version ]
- September 29, 2017 – Amended by House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly [ View September 29, 2017 Version ]
- March 20, 2019 – Amended by Senate Bill 231 - 132nd General Assembly [ View March 20, 2019 Version ]
- October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly [ View October 17, 2019 Version ]
- September 30, 2021 – Amended by House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2021 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]