In a few posts at the start and end of last year, I flagged the work of some Ohio jurists in advocating for the development of a statewide sentencing database. See :A notable judicial pitch for better sentencing data in the Buckeye State" (from Jan. 2020) and "Making a great case for greater data to improve sentencing decision-making and sentencing systems" (from Dec. 2020). Since then, work on, and debates over, such a database have picked up steam and also garnered some press attention:
From the Columbus Dispatch, "Can a spreadsheet improve fairness and justice in sentencing in Ohio courts? Some judges say yes"
From the Court News Ohio, "Justice, Judges Stand By Value Of Sentencing Database"
Also from the Court News Ohio, "New Platform Provides Path to Accessible Sentencing Data"
From The Plain Dealer editorial board: "Should Cuyahoga County run a pilot to show a criminal sentencing database can work?"
Here are excerpts from the the Dispatch article, which appears in today's papers, providing an update on the efforts:
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly is spearheading a project to collect criminal sentencing data in a uniform way across courts. And Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor is backing it as well. "I've become convinced that this isn't just a good idea, it's an absolute necessity to deal with the problem of disparate treatment and implicit bias that permeates our sentencing laws," Donnelly said....
The goal is to be able see how similar cases compare county to county, court to court. It isn't as simple as it sounds. The courts operate with antiquated information technology systems. There isn't a uniform way that courts collect information. Ohio has 723 elected judges across 88 counties — some of whom may be worried about what trends the data may show, Donnelly said....
Ohio is making some progress. The Ohio Sentencing Data Platform project now has a template so courts can collect the same information in the same fields — a crucial early step for building a common database.
Courts in Allen and Lawrence counties are testing the project and courts in Highland, Lake and Summit counties are scheduled to join in the coming months. Courts in 11 other counties including Hamilton, Warren, Franklin and Stark are holding meetings about joining.
The April 2021 issue of the Federal Sentencing Reporter, which is available online here, includes discussions of efforts to build out the Ohio Sentencing Data Platform.
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