Ohio's Old-Law Prisoners Write a letter to Governor Strickland asking that Ohio's old-law prisoners be given fair treatment by the parole board.

National CURE - Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants

International CURE - CURE's international chapters

eTc - The Campaign to Promote Equitable Telephone Charges

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio

The Sentencing Project - Information about crime, courts, sentencing, criminal justice policy analysis, punishment, alternatives to incarceration, and reform.

A 25-Year Quagmire: The "War On Drugs" and Its Impact on American Society by Marc Mauer and Ryan S. King. Analysis, based on 25 years of government data, finds that the "war on drugs" has increasingly targeted low-level offenders for arrest and incarceration, and is largely failing to provide adequate treatment in prison.

Ohio Public Defender - Ohio criminal law news. Information about Adam Walsh Act and Senate Bill 10, sample motions to contest reclassification and for relief from community notification under SB10. Information on parole litigation: key cases on Ohio parole - Layne, Ankrom, and Hall. Information on post-conviction DNA testing.

Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law ("OIP") seeks to identify and assist those prison inmates who claim to be actually innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted.

Ohio Justice and Policy Center, a public interest law office, works in Ohio for fair-minded, progressive reform of Ohio's Justice system.

Prison Legal News, a monthly journal edited by former Washington State prisoner Paul Wright that covers prison-related news and analysis.

Ohioans To Stop Executions works to end capital punishment in the state of Ohio.  OTSE maintains a discussion list.

Lucasville: The Untold Story of a Prison Uprising by Staughton Lynd. Definitive history of the 1993 prison uprising at Lucasville, in which a guard and 9 prisoners died. Eminent historian and lawyer Staughton Lynd argues compellingly that the five men sentenced to death have been unfairly convicted. A textbook case for what is wrong with the death penalty.

Democracy Now program on the Lucasville Five. To contact the Lucasville Five Uprising Freedom Committee:  pfcenter@sbcglobal.com, (216) 481-6671 (Sharon Danann).

The Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook, published by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild.  Download for free or send $2.00 in stamps, check, or money order (the latter may take several weeks).

Prisoner Solidarity discussion list, a forum on prisoners' rights and prison alternatives.

Sentencing Law and Policy, a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network.  News and analysis of legal decisions concerned with sentencing.

Sex Offender Research & News by A Voice of Reason.  A site dedicated to research, studies and court cases related to sex offender issues including current news.

One Year Out: Experiences of Prisoners Returning to Cleveland.  A study - experiences of nearly 300 former prisoners, including their ability to find stable housing and reunite with family, getting a job, and avoiding substance use and return to prison.  Policy implications of findings: specific recommendations for helping released prisoners become healthy and productive members of the communities to which they return.

Ohio Department of Corrections Policies ODRC policies are available here for download as PDF files.

Ohio Benefit Bank  is a program to connect Ohioans, including returning prisoners, with access to work supports and public benefits. It is offered through a public-private partnership of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and others. Trained counselors provide one-stop shopping for benefits. 

Class Action Suit ALLEN v. COLLINS dismissed   This lawsuit challenging the Ohio parole regulations was filed in 2009. However, the court dismissed the suit August 2010. Selective pleadings in the case can be viewed by clicking here.  No Old Law inmates would have been released as a result of success in the case, but success would have helped establish revised parole standards.

M.U.S.C.L.E. Reentry Resource Guide   of the Ohio Department of Corrections Office of Policy and Offender Reentry is a collection of county by county fact sheets that provide vital information to assist former offenders' reentry into society. Areas include social services, human services, local, county, state, and federal agencies, and other service agencies such as libraries, substance abuse programs, mental health counseling, veterans services commissions, educational opportunities, faith-based agencies, food, clothing, and job training and placement. On this website, on the map of Ohio click on a county to download the fact sheet for that county.