Bill alerting Ohioans when prisoners escape sent to Gov. DeWine to sign into law

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - Legislation designed to notify Ohioans when a felon escapes custody is on its way to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved a small change to the bill before it goes to Governor Mike DeWine.

Last week, the Ohio Senate voted to approve House Bill 23, also known as ECAP, “The Escaped Convict Alert Program”.

“House Bill 23 reflects a commitment to proactive safety measures, accountability and the well-being of our communities,” said Senator Casey Weinstein (D) from Hudson.

Last fall, 19 Investigates aired a series of reports that prompted Representative Bill Roemer (R) to introduce the bill.

“I started watching news stories, especially on Channel 19 in Cleveland, and Mike Mason the reporter was doing stories on escapes from the Summit County Jail,” Rep. Roemer told Senators during a committee meeting on Oct. 2.

19 Investigates detailed how several inmates escaped custody, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly failed to notify the public.

ECAP would create a system similar to an Amber Alert, notifying people on their computers and smartphones whenever a felon escapes in their neighborhood.

“It’s clear to me that this is a highly anticipated and useful piece of legislation,” said Senator Terry Johnson (R) from McDermott.

19 Investigates also reported how one potentially dangerous felon — Preston Hill — was on the run for three years before being arrested this past July.

In that case, we found the sheriff’s office not only failed to issue an alert, but 19 Investigates obtained internal documents showing they also texted deputies on the fugitive task force and instructed them not to notify the media.

On Oct. 29, senators approved the bill unanimously with 32 in favor, and none opposed.

Last June, H.B. 23 passed the House unanimously as well, and now has a total of 71 co-sponsors.

Although the Senate approved H.B. 23 last week, it didn’t go directly to the governor’s desk because it needed concurrence in the House due to separate legislation lawmakers later attached to it regarding banking police officers.

On Thursday, the House concurrence vote was also unanimous.