Rep. Brent Issues Statement on House Bill 5

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Juanita O. Brent (D-Cleveland) today voted “NO” on House Bill (HB) 5, the Repeat Offender Act. HB 5 would create a non-automatic expungement, impose mandatory sentences, and increase the prison population, taking away judges' ability to make case-by-case decisions: 

“Ohio must prioritize policies that uplift our communities, not ones that perpetuate cycles of incarceration," said Rep. Brent. “It’s time to invest in solutions that address the systemic issues leading to crime, such as poverty, lack of education, and inadequate access to mental health services.”

Ohio should be investing in solutions like education, intervention, and reentry programs, instead of longer sentences. HB 5 puts guns back in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them, adds mandatory sentence after mandatory sentence causing prison populations to soar and prevents police from being able to do a full background check on people who apply for law enforcement jobs.

House Bill 5 passed the House with a 71-24 vote. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.