Section 2301.56. Application for state financial assistance

(A) A facility governing board that proposes or establishes one or more community-based correctional facilities and programs or district community-based correctional facilities and programs may apply to the division of parole and community services of the department of rehabilitation and correction for state financial assistance for the cost of renovation, maintenance, and operation of any of the facilities and programs. If the facility governing board has proposed or established more than one facility and program and if it desires state financial assistance for more than one of the facilities and programs, the board shall submit a separate application for each facility and program for which it desires the financial assistance.

An application for state financial assistance under this section may be made when the facility governing board submits for approval of the division of parole and community services its proposal for the establishment of the facility and program in question under division (B) of section 2301.51 of the Revised Code, or at any time after the division has approved the proposal. All applications for state financial assistance for proposed or approved facilities and programs shall be made on forms that are prescribed and furnished by the department of rehabilitation and correction, and in accordance with section 5120.112 of the Revised Code.

(B) The facility governing board may submit a request for funding of some or all of its community-based correctional facilities and programs or district community-based correctional facilities and programs to the board of county commissioners of the county, if the facility governing board serves a community-based correctional facility and program, or to the boards of county commissioners of all of the member counties, if the facility governing board serves a district community-based correctional facility and program. The board or boards may appropriate, but are not required to appropriate, a sum of money for funding all aspects of each facility and program as outlined in sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code. The facility governing board has no recourse against a board or boards of county commissioners if the board or boards of county commissioners do not appropriate money for funding any facility and program or if they appropriate money for funding a facility and program in an amount less than the total amount of the submitted request for funding.

(C) Pursuant to section 2929.37 of the Revised Code, a board of county commissioners may require a person who was convicted of an offense and who is confined in a community-based correctional facility or district community-based correctional facility as provided in sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code to reimburse the county for its expenses incurred by reason of the person's confinement.

(D)

(1) Community-based correctional facilities and programs and district community-based correctional facilities and programs are public offices under section 117.01 of the Revised Code and are subject to audit under section 117.10 of the Revised Code. The audits of the facilities and programs shall include financial audits and, in addition, in the circumstances specified in this division, performance audits by the auditor of state. If a private or nonprofit entity performs the day-to-day operation of any community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program, the private or nonprofit entity also is subject to financial audits under section 117.10 of the Revised Code, and, in addition, in the circumstances specified in this division, to performance audits by the auditor of state. The auditor of state shall conduct the performance audits of a facility and program and of an entity required under section 117.10 of the Revised Code and this division and, notwithstanding the time period for audits specified in section 117.11 of the Revised Code, shall conduct the financial audits of a facility and program and of an entity required under section 117.10 of the Revised Code and this division, in accordance with the following criteria:

(a) For each facility and program and each entity, the auditor of state shall conduct the initial financial audit within two years after March 31, 2003, or, if the facility and program in question is established on or after March 31, 2003, within two years after the date on which it is established.

(b) After the initial financial audit described in division (D)(1)(a) of this section, for each facility and program and each entity, the auditor of state shall conduct the financial audits of the facility and program or the entity at least once every two fiscal years.

(c) At any time after March 31, 2003, regarding a facility and program or regarding an entity that performs the day-to-day operation of a facility and program, the department of rehabilitation and correction or the facility governing board that established the facility and program may request, or the auditor of state on its own initiative may undertake, a performance audit of the facility and program or the entity. Upon the receipt of the request, or upon the auditor of state's own initiative as described in this division, the auditor of state shall conduct a performance audit of the facility and program or the entity.

(2) The department of rehabilitation and correction shall prepare and provide to the auditor of state quarterly financial reports for each community-based correctional facility and program, for each district community-based correctional facility and program, and, to the extent that information is available, for each private or nonprofit entity that performs the day-to-day operation of any community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program. Each report shall cover a three-month period and shall be provided to the auditor of state not later than fifteen days after the end of the period covered by the report.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004; 10-12-2006