OCSEA stands firmly behind a proposed bill that attempts to overhaul parts of the Ohio criminal justice system after an OSU student, Reagan Tokes, was brutally murdered when her killer was released from an Ohio prison too soon.
The bipartisan bill, the Reagan Tokes Act, named for the young woman, looks at several downfalls of the improve the system and save lives. According to Columbus 10TV,which has investigated and reported on the shortcomings, the Act would focus on four key areas:
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Making sentences indeterminate for first and second-degree felonies, and third-degree violent felonies, which gives judges more discretion for sentencing;
- Requiring the Ohio DRC to create and recommend a program for violent and dangerous felons not accepted into other reentry programs;
- Requiring the DRC to establish parole officer guidelines, including a minimum number of hours that an officer must dedicate to a parolee, which will ensure proper oversight for all parolees;
- Creating a new policy for offender GPS monitoring in order to better identify suspicious activity based on the offender's location.
The Service Employees International Union 1199 has proposed some changes to the bill that would grant some relief to Parole Officers with large case loads.