Please Note: You are viewing the non-styled version of SITE NAME. Either your browser does not support Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or it is disabled. We suggest upgrading your browser to the latest version of your favorite Internet browser.
The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) has been asked to implement the federal Deaths in Custody Reporting Act (DICRA) of 2000 (Public Law 106-297). This Act requires the reporting of certain data on deaths of persons in the custody of law enforcement agencies, and deaths which result from lethal force by law enforcement officers.
The definition of an arrest-related death at issue is: A death of an arrested person or an intended arrestee that occurs during the process of arrest, in the custody of law enforcement officers, or as the result of lethal force by officers. This reporting system is intended to complement another federal system that requires reporting of persons who die during incarceration, either in jails or prisons.
The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics (U.S. Department of Justice), collects and maintains the data nationally, and has directed states to report cases quarterly, going back initially to January, 2003. OCJS is asking all county coroners, prosecuting attorneys, and members of law enforcement to provide basic identifying information on any cases they suspect fit the definition.
For more information on the Arrest-Related Death program, go to the Bureau of Justice Statistics website at: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=82.
If you have any questions, contact OCJS at 1-888-448-4842.
Include arrested-related deaths that:
• Occur before law enforcement personnel establish physical custody or before a formal arrest process is initiated;
• Occur while persons attempt to elude law enforcement personnel during the course of apprehension (e.g., police chases involving action by law enforcement personnel such as deploying tire deflation devices and standoffs);
• Are caused by any use of foce by local or state law enforcement personnel, as well as those not directly related to actions of law enforcement, such as deaths attributed to suicide, accidental injury, and illness or natural causes;
• Involve law enforcement assistance in restraining and transporting persons in need of medical or mental health care.
Exclude deaths that:
• Occur in a jail or other long-term facility;
• Occur in the custody of federal law enforcement personnel.