5120.60 Office of victims' services. - Ohio Statutes

5120.60 Office of victims' services.

(A) There is hereby created in the division of parole and community services the office of victims’ services.

(B) The office shall provide assistance to victims of crime, victims’ representatives designated under section 2930.02 of the Revised Code, and members of the victim’s family. The assistance shall include, but not be limited to, providing information about the policies and procedures of the department of rehabilitation and correction and the status of offenders under the department’s jurisdiction.

(C) The office shall also make available publications that will assist victims in contacting staff of the department about problems with offenders under the supervision of the adult parole authority or confined in state correctional institutions under the department’s jurisdiction.

(D) The office shall employ a victims coordinator who shall administer the office’s functions. The victims coordinator shall be in the unclassified civil service and report directly to the chief of the division.

(E) The office shall also employ at least three persons in the unclassified civil service whose primary duties shall be to help parole board hearing officers identify victims’ issues and to make recommendations to the parole board in accordance with rules adopted by the department. The member of the parole board appointed pursuant to division (B) of section 5149.10 of the Revised Code shall approve the hiring of the employees of the office.

(F) The office shall coordinate its activities with the member of the parole board appointed pursuant to division (B) of section 5149.10 of the Revised Code. The victims coordinator and other employees of the office shall have full access to records of prisoners under the department’s jurisdiction.

(G) Information provided to the office of victim services by victims of crime or a victim representative designated under section 2930.02 of the Revised Code for the purpose of program participation, of receiving services, or to communicate acts of an inmate or person under the supervision of the adult parole authority that threaten the safety and security of the victim shall be confidential and is not a public record under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(H) As used in this section, “crime,” “member of the victim’s family,” and “victim” have the meanings given in section 2930.01 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003