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Ask the Right Office: Ohio

Pick a problem to see the office, the official rule, the deadlines and who must file. Then fill in a plain-English letter in your browser, print or save it as a PDF, and add a follow-up date to your calendar.

What this page can and can't tell you

Can: Which office to write to and how to put together a clear letter.

Can't: It can't give an official release date, say whether a specific person qualifies, or give legal advice. Only the DOC, the board or a court decides.

A letter doesn't replace the required official grievance form or procedure, and those have deadlines. If you're worried about retaliation, keep copies and dates of everything you send, and tell the person's attorney or a legal aid office if anything changes afterward.

Free legal help: Legal Services Corporation: find legal aid (civil matters). For criminal cases, ask the public defender's office that handled the case.






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Ohio at a glance

ProblemOfficeDeadline to fileResponse deadline
Time calculation reviewDirect supervisor of the staff member involved (Informal Complaint Resolution)Informal complaint within 14 calendar days of the event.Staff answer the informal complaint within 7 calendar days (the inspector may allow 4 more). The inspector answers a grievance within 14 calendar days.
Credit (good time) disputeDirect supervisor of the staff member involved (Informal Complaint Resolution)Informal complaint within 14 calendar days of the event.Staff answer the informal complaint within 7 calendar days (the inspector may allow 4 more). The inspector answers a grievance within 14 calendar days.
Medical request or complaintDirect supervisor of the staff member involved (Informal Complaint Resolution)Informal complaint within 14 calendar days of the event.Staff answer the informal complaint within 7 calendar days (the inspector may allow 4 more). The inspector answers a grievance within 14 calendar days.
Visit or mail denial appealDirect supervisor of the staff member involved (Informal Complaint Resolution)Informal complaint within 14 calendar days of the event.Staff answer the informal complaint within 7 calendar days (the inspector may allow 4 more). The inspector answers a grievance within 14 calendar days.
Records requestThe records custodian at the agency that keeps the recordNo filing deadline in the statute.Records must be "promptly prepared"; copies within a reasonable period of time. Division (B)(8) limits requests by incarcerated people for some criminal-investigation records.
Parole fileNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Disability (ADA) accommodationDirect supervisor of the staff member involved (Informal Complaint Resolution)Informal complaint within 14 calendar days of the event.Staff answer the informal complaint within 7 calendar days (the inspector may allow 4 more). The inspector answers a grievance within 14 calendar days.
Transfer or classificationDirect supervisor of the staff member involved (Informal Complaint Resolution)Informal complaint within 14 calendar days of the event.Staff answer the informal complaint within 7 calendar days (the inspector may allow 4 more). The inspector answers a grievance within 14 calendar days.

Grievance rule: Ohio Adm. Code 5120-9-31 (Inmate grievance procedure) (opens in new tab). Records: Ohio Rev. Code § 149.43 (Public records) (opens in new tab). Who files a grievance: The incarcerated person.

Not legal advice. Rules change and facilities may add local steps; the official text controls. Missing a deadline can end a claim. Find free legal aid (LSC) (opens in new tab). Last checked .

Other states · Ohio credit rules · Check a release calculation · Release countdown · What do I do now?

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