The Ohio House of Representatives today passed SB 36 in a bipartisan vote, expanding access to the state’s victim compensation program and helping to improve public safety. The legislation – which now goes to the Ohio Senate for concurrence  – was strongly supported by crime victims across the state, including the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) and its Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice network in Ohio. ASJ began advocating for these reforms in 2018, and has worked alongside bill sponsor Chair Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) on elevating the needs of victims in this legislation. ASJ has also worked alongside state leaders to establish trauma recovery centers that provide wraparound services to victims of violent crime and prevent re-victimization. 

The nation has been watching the state of Illinois struggle with an increase in prison expenditures, an increase in violence in Chicago, and an increase in the number of victims needing treatment and trauma recovery.