State Sen. John Eklund recently received the prestigious McLin Award from the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections for his work on Senate Bill 66, which aims to reduce recidivism and prison time for low-level, non-violent, non-sex offenders, who make up the fastest growing portion of the state’s prison population due to the drug epidemic.
The McLin Award is presented in memory of the late state Rep. C.J. McLin Jr., who during his tenure in the General Assembly actively worked to improve community corrections through funding and legislative change.
The award is now given annually to an elected official in Ohio who has worked toward the improvement of community corrections in Ohio.
“I am honored to be counted among those who are deemed worthy of an award in the name someone who had such a strong impact on our criminal justice system,” said Eklund, R-Munson Township. “This bipartisan effort is a significant step to ensure certain low-level offenders are not overly burdensome or the primary focus of our prison system, so that we can continue to focus on punishing and protecting Ohioans from more violent crimes.”
Senate Bill 66 will strengthen Ohio’s criminal justice system and allow offenders to have a fair shot at rehabilitation without being subjected to unfair penalties, according to an Oct. 23 press release issued by Eklund’s office.
The legislation gives judges more discretion, bolsters Intervention in Lieu of Conviction programs, makes changes to the presumptive return to prison for technical parole violations and expands the eligibility for conviction record sealing.
Provisions of the bill are scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 29.
