Ohio Governor Signs Bill to Increase Parole Board Hearings

State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) today announced that Governor DeWine signed House Bill 31, legislation he jointly sponsored with State Representative Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus).  House Bill 31 requires electronic recording of all Ohio Parole Board hearings and ensures those records are available upon request by members of the public. 

"This legislation is something I have been working on since I became a State Representative. This mandates transparency and alignment of parole board hearings to other court proceedings without jeopardizing the privacy of victims. As the Parole Board decides whether to release prisoners back into our communities or keep them in prison, Ohioans deserve to have a record of how those decisions were made," said Stewart.

Previously, the Ohio Parole Board was not required to record its hearings, limiting the ability for inmates, attorneys, families, and stakeholders to review or appeal the proceedings. House Bill 31 addressed this issue. 

Under the new law, any party, person, or entity will be able to request an electronic recording of a parole hearing from the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. These recordings are required to be kept confidential and are not allowed to be copied or posted to the internet. 

This bill ensures the privacy of any victims mentioned in the hearing and that recordings exclude personally identifiable information, such as names, contact information, Social Security numbers, and other details about the victim or their immediate family. 

House Bill 31 is now enrolled.