Cleveland, OH

Ohio Bills Would Reduce Barriers for People After Serving Criminal Sentences

Published

2 months ago

April 8, 2026

Ohio Bills Would Reduce Barriers for People After Serving Criminal Sentences

Ohio lawmakers have several bills in the works that would help give Ohioans second chances after serving criminal sentences.

More than two-thirds of prisoners are re-arrested within three years of their release and half are reincarcerated, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. One in three Ohio adults has a criminal record, said Ohio Justice & Policy Center Policy Director Michaela Burriss.

“We see fathers who can’t get a job because of a decades old record,” said Ohio Justice & Policy Center CEO Gabe Davis. “We see mothers who can’t secure safe and affordable housing because of conviction. We see people who made mistakes when they were young but can’t move forward because the system simply will not let them a second.”

State Sen. Michele Reynolds, R-Canal Winchester, said second chance legislation is a priority in the Ohio legislature.

“This is not a partisan issue,” she said. “This is a humanitarian issue.”

Bills that have passed in the Ohio House

Three second chance bills have passed the Ohio House and are now in the Ohio Senate.

Ohio House Bill 296 would prohibit a court from requiring someone pay any outstanding court-assessed fines or fees from a criminal proceeding for 180 days after they are released for a prison sentence lasting a year or more.

“This allows individuals to stabilize their finances, secure essential needs like housing and focus on rebuilding their lives without the immediate pressure of debt collectors and the risk of negative consequences,” Burriss said.

Ohio state Rep. Melanie Miller, R-Ashland, introduced the bill and it passed the Ohio House in February.

Ohio House Bill 393 would expand a program that helps inmates get state identification cards before being released. The bipartisan bill unanimously passed the House in November and was introduced by state Reps. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, and Gary Click, R-Vickery.

“Without (a state ID) you’re invisible to the system,” Brewer said. “We know when people are given the tools to succeed they’re less likely to return back to the justice system.”

Ohio House Bill 268 would reduce the amount of time someone must wait to apply for a Certificate of Qualification for Employment if they were incarcerated for a felony offense.

The bipartisan bill unanimously passed the House in October and was introduced by Click and state Rep. Latyna Humphrey, D-Columbus.

“(A Certificate of Qualification for Employment) doesn’t guarantee anyone a job, but what it does do is it gives people a fair shot,” Humphrey said. “It removes automatic barriers and provides employers with legal protection if they choose to hire.”

Under current Ohio law, someone who was incarcerated for a felony must wait one year after finishing all of their sanctions — which Humphrey said can last two to five years — to apply for the certificate.

This bill would change that timeline.

“Instead of forcing people to wait years, this bill allows individuals to apply for the (certificate) one year after their release from incarceration,” Humphrey said.

Other second chance bills

Ohio Senate Bill 143 would prevent private employers from asking about or considering the criminal background of a job applicant on an initial employment application.

The bipartisan bill was introduced last year by Ohio Sens. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, and Bill Blessing, R–Colerain Twp.

People with criminal records will often not apply to a job out of fear of having to disclose their record, Burriss said.

“Passing Senate Bill 143 gets more talent into the job pool and more people into our workforce,” she said. “It will increase revenues and public safety while decreasing the cost on our justice system overall. It is smart justice and good for Ohio businesses.”

Companion bills Ohio House Bill 626 and Ohio Senate Bill 394 would require courts to electronically notify people of criminal and traffic court hearings.

“Research has shown that this simple step can reduce failures to appear by 37%,” said Ohio Poverty Law Center Senior Policy Advocate Zack Eckles. “That is good for both individuals meaning that they will incur less unnecessary fines and fees, and it’s good for the courts so that they can operate more efficiently.”

State Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, introduced H.B. 626 in December and Blessing introduced S.B. 394 in March.

Ohio House Bill 368 would require eviction records to be automatically sealed three years after a case’s final judgement entry. Brewer introduced the bill with state Rep. Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland.

“Evictions can be overwhelming and cause long-term damage to credit and rental history, making it difficult to find safe and secure housing,” Brewer said. “With the rising cost of rent, grocery, daycare, daily expenses, the last thing our constituents need in these hard times is an eviction record following them for the rest of their lives.”

Reynolds introduced Ohio Senate Bill 204, which would create a procedure to suppress eviction records.

“This simply allows records to be suppressed while the case is pending in court and then permanently sealed if the tenant prevails or the case is dismissed, because no one should lose access to a home over a case that they ultimately won,” she said.

Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.

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Cleveland, OH

Yankees Take Another in Cleveland

Published

1 hour ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

The Cleveland Guardians fell to the New York Yankees, again, tonight. Dropping game two in this series gives New York the series win and puts the Guardians five games above .500.

Slade Cecconi had a strong outing and is looking like he is hitting a groove. Cecconi went 5.0 innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He struck out two batters.

The Guardians scored 2 runs on 10 hits and 4 walks. Both runs came in the bottom of the third inning.

With two quick outs to start the inning, José Ramírez hit a single to center, then reached second on his 24th stolen base of the season. Chase DeLuter singled to center, scoring José from second. Kyle Manzardo drew a walk and Rhys Hoskins was hit by pitch to load them up. Angel Martínez singled to Paul Goldschmidt at first base who made a diving catch. Goldschmidt lobbed the ball to the pitcher with just enough arch that Angel was able to slide into first and beat out the tag.

In the top of the fourth, Travis Bazzana made a great sliding catch to end the inning.

The Guards bullpen did their best to hold it down, all things considering. Colin Holderman walked a batter in his inning of work. Tim Herrin gave up a run in his second inning of work, a solo shot to Jazz Chisolm Jr. He fell to 0-2 on the season, recording the loss. The home run was the only hit he allowed. Matt Festa finished the eighth inning, allowing only one other hit. Shawn Armstrong closed the game, keeping the Yankees at bay, but the damage was already done

This team is going through a funk that seems like it could be easily fixed with a couple of pieces or strategic moves. Tonight they left 13 runners on base and were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. While the hot start to this season is providing the buffer they need for these sorts of slumps, something needs to improve soon or the White Sox will be taking ahold of first place in the AL Central before we know it.

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Cleveland, OH

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians prediction, pick for Tuesday 6/9/26

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Press Room

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians prediction, pick for Tuesday 6/9/26

Bryan Armetta offers up a preview, prediction and pick for Tuesday’s MLB game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.

It took ten innings, but the Yankees (39-26) eked out a 7-5 win on Tuesday. New York is in a dead heat with the rival Rays for first place in the AL East. As for the Guardians (37-31), winning the lackluster AL Central isn’t their biggest challenge. Cleveland is hoping to prove it can take down the Junior Circuit’s best squads. A victory tonight over the hated Pinstripes would go a long way tonight.

The Yankees are favorites (-123) over the Guardians, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Tuesday’s showdown between New York and Cleveland on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Yankees vs. Guardians pick, best bet

Yankees vs. Guardians under 8.5 runs (-103): Cole is too good of a pitcher to get beat by the same squad twice in one week. It’s not as if Cleveland’s bats come into this one on a hot streak either. As for Cecconi, continued use of the curveball will be key this evening. He’s already shown an ability to keep New York’s potent lineup in check.

Yankees vs. Guardians prediction, preview

New York was dealt a significant blow last week with the loss of Aaron Judge (ribs). Fortunately, there’s more than enough offensive firepower on this squad going forward. The duo of Ben Rice (184 wRC+) and Cody Bellinger (138 wRC+) have been terrific this season for the Bronx Bombers. As a unit, the Yankees are averaging an American League-best 5.09 runs per game. To boot, they lead all of baseball with 95 home runs. No matter how you slice it, this team can swing the bat with the best of them.

That makes this a tricky spot for Slade Cecconi this evening. The right-hander has produced a mediocre 4.92 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 54 strikeouts (7.2 K/9). With that being said, the 27-year-old is fresh off of a six-inning, one-run outing against New York. The outing saw Cecconi mix in more curveball usage, arguably his most effective pitch. Over his last five starts, the right-hander has accounted for a 3.04 ERA. Yankees batters are slashing .167/.211/.328 against the curveball this season. Cecconi excels at limiting free passes (2.8 BB/9). New York’s offense works 4.26 walks per game, third-most in the majors.

On the other side, it’ll be Gerrit Cole toeing the slab. Over three starts this season, the former Cy Young winner owns a 2.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 14 strikeouts (7.0 K/9). He gave up four earned runs over 5.1 innings last week vs. Cleveland. Still, there’s a decent chance the six-time All-Star enjoys more success tonight. The Guardians own a .678 OPS against right-handed pitching, fifth-worst in the league. In his last six meetings with Cleveland, postseason included, Cole has a 3.03 ERA.

The newest weapon in Cole’s arsenal is a changeup, which he’s thrown 16% of the time. Other off-speed weapons include the slider (16%) and curveball (12%). Against those three offerings, the Guardians own a .197 batting average, .267 on-base percentage and .267 wOBA. The team has also scored 37 runs over their previous ten contests, fifth-fewest in baseball during that stretch. Cleveland is averaging 4.03 runs per game at home, seventh-worst in the league this season.

Best Bet: Yankees vs. Guardians under 8.5 runs (-103)

Last week aside, Cole has been terrific this season. I’d expect New York’s ace to bounce back against a subpar Cleveland lineup. As for the Guardians, Cecconi is finally starting to get comfortable on the mound. Facing a Yankees lineup without Judge should lead to another decent performance on Tuesday. At 8.5 runs, this total feels a bit too high.