Justice Matters

The gunshot-detection microphones used by the Dayton Police Department dispatched officers to West Dayton over 2,200 times over the last two years.

“Old law inmates,” or those who committed their crimes before Ohio changed the parole board system in 1996, have little success in their parole board hearings.

Cardell Belfoure had been writing poetry for several years before joining the ID13 Prison Literacy Project while incarcerated at Grafton Correctional Institution in Grafton, Ohio.

Before Jonathan Young began writing poetry through the ID13 Prison Literacy Project, he spent a long time trying to "fit in" with others around him.

Nearly 1 million residents of the state have felony convictions. For our Justice Matters series, we speak with some of them who have been living with the consequences, while we identify some calls for change.

When it comes to reforming Ohio's criminal justice system, changing the laws tends to start at the state-level. But while lawmakers look at shifting sentencing from prison to treatment, there's also an urge by officials to increase penalties, resulting in what can be a contrasting approach to reform.

Although bipartisanship isn't seen frequently these days, there seems to be some agreement from both sides of the aisle on the need to reform bail in Ohio.

Over the past few years, police departments across the country have grappled with what to do when a video in their possession captures the use of deadly force by a police officer.

Even with bipartisan support to reduce Ohio's prison population, state lawmakers are increasing the number of felonies and penalties defendants face.