Ohio House approves tougher penalties for crimes against correctional facility employees

OHIO — The Ohio House recently approved a new bill that aims to bring stricter penalties for crimes committed against correctional facility employees.

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House Bill 338, also known as “Andy’s Law,” was approved by the Ohio House of Representatives in November.

The bill was introduced by State Representatives Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), according to a press release from Johnson’s office.

It was developed in response to the murder of correctional officer Andrew Lansing by an inmate last Christmas.

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The bill looks to impose stricter penalties for aggravated murder and assault of correctional employees and introduces measures to curb drug possession among inmates, according to the release.

“This is a great first step to restoring respect to our officers and to reward good behavior within the inmate population,” Johnson said.

“We have placed a large focus on getting drugs out of our prisons, it’s hard to rehabilitate an addict,” Plummer said. “This bill will make it very clear that inmates assaulting Corrections Officers will no longer be tolerated.”

According to the release, the bill aims to accomplish the following:

• Expand the offense to a life sentence in prison without parole if an inmate murders an ODRC or DYS employee
• Create a mandatory, 7-year sentence for inmates who assault an ODRC or DYS employee
• Create a mandatory, 3-year sentence for inmates who throw bodily fluids at an ODRC or DYS employee 
• Allow higher-ranking staff members of prisons to detain people who try to bring illegal substances into prisons or give them to inmates
• Ensure all Level 3 and 4 prisons have drug-sniffing dogs at the institution within 2 years, and all lower-level prisons have K9 units within 5 years 
• Instill no-contact visitations at all Level 3 and 4 prisons
• Require the Ohio State Highway Patrol to train Drug Detection Dogs for correctional facilities

The bill now moves to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

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