Justice Policy & Programs

Our Purpose

The Office of Justice Policy and Programs (OJPP) serves as the Metropolitan County Criminal Justice Services Agency for Franklin County and is directed by oversight of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and the Franklin County Criminal Justice Planning Board.

OJPP has responsibility for all County initiatives regarding Justice Grants, reentry planning and program recommendations, domestic violence/intimate partner violence prevention and services, and national Stepping Up and Data Driven Justice involvement. OJPP also staffs the Franklin County Reentry Advisory Board and represents the County on various local, state, and national organizations, committees, and initiatives.

Programs & Services

Coordinating Boards

Our office is home to different coordinating boards that assist in the short and long-term planning of our agency.

Criminal Justice Planning Board

The purpose of the Criminal Justice Planning Board is to exercise leadership in improving the quality of the criminal and juvenile justice systems in Franklin County. Quarterly meetings of the CJPB are open to the public.

Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code §5502.65 (formerly ORC §181.55(C)), the Franklin County Criminal Justice Planning Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall:

Exercise leadership in improving the quality of the criminal justice systems in Franklin County;
Review, approve, and maintain general oversight of the Comprehensive Strategic Plan and the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Plan;
Review and comment on the overall needs and accomplishments of the criminal and juvenile justice systems in Franklin County.

Members of the Board are appointed by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners biennially.

Listed below are the 2025 meeting dates and all meeting times are 2:00pm - 4:00pm held in Meeting Room A located on the 1st floor of 369 S. High St, Columbus, Ohio, 43215:

Q1: 3/19/25
Q2: 5/15/25 (Strategic Planning Retreat)
Q3: 8/20/25
Q4: 11/5/25

CJPB-board-members.pdf(PDF, 59KB)

Reentry Advisory Board

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners (BOC) established the Reentry Advisory Board (RAB) on November 6, 2018, to:

Develop diverse solutions and policy recommendations to the challenges and barriers that hinder justice-involved residents’ access to equal and equitable opportunities and
Build a culture and platform that promotes inclusion of justice-involved residents in business and the workforce, housing, education, and all aspects of a productive community, and leverage collective knowledge across multiple disciplines.

The overarching goal of the RAB is to support reduction in the recidivism rate in Franklin County thereby positively impacting public safety, social justice, and economic development. Currently the RAB includes 20 members representing diverse perspectives and expertise from various sectors of the community. In addition, there are 15 individuals that contribute their expertise on committees. The Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs (OJPP) provides support and assistance to the RAB. Reentry has been recognized as an important issue in Franklin County for years as research on reentry began to inform practice and the number of incarcerated individuals began to grow nationally in the 1980’s, peaking in the 2000’s. Prior to establishment of the RAB, the Reentry Coalition was in operation from 2009 to 2019 with the stated purpose of establishing system-wide justice and reentry planning and the facilitation of multi-agency engagement across disciplines.

Resources

Below, you can learn more about the grant opportunities our office is involved with, and what your agency may be eligible to apply for.

Justice Grant Opportunities

The Office of Justice Policy and Programs is the fiduciary agent and grant administrator for the County's major federal funding for law enforcement, prosecution, crime prevention and education, and technology improvement. Learn more about the different grants below by visiting our grants page: