Bob Sandrick

Ohio women credit second chance education and support for successful reentry to society

As the pandemic pushed incarcerated people out the prison door, many rallied with hand up services including legal, housing, counseling, workforce training and jobs.

Ambitious data collection project to advance criminal justice in Ohio

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice O’Connor, Justice Donnelly, the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, and an ad-hoc committee are gathering information from courts statewide to build a database to eliminate bias and help with more consistent, fairer sentencing.

Getting to Yes: Ohio has been a leader in the development of Alternative Dispute Resolution

“We’re used to thinking of everything as a win-lose scenario. But how do you reach win-win resolutions to conflict? That was how we looked at it. Conflict resolution initiatives take a certain frame of mind, and patience.” - Gov. Richard Celeste  

Criminal justice reform: What is it and why is it important?

Most people want to believe that the criminal justice system will never intersect with their lives. But according to a 2019 report by Cornell University, about 45% of Americans at one time have seen an immediate family member incarcerated.  

The history of the Electoral College: What is it and why do we use it?

Neither the U.S. Constitution nor federal law requires electors to vote for the presidential candidate in their own political parties. Those who vote against their party’s candidate are known as “faithless electors.”

Ohio Civics Essential: A look back at our state’s presidents and how they shaped today’s parties

During this presidential inaugural season, a look back at inaugural speeches by the eight presidents from Ohio shows that each had plenty to say, rightly or wrongly, about issues that still resonate today, like elections, balance of power, race, immigration and foreign policy.

Systemic racism is embedded in our society due to past issues that led to present problems

In some ways, Ohio has been progressive on civil rights issues, but we have a long way to go with housing, education, employment, and healthcare. Bob Sandrick interviewed a few people around the state hoping to drive change.

Opioids and the pandemic: In the midst of isolation, there is hope

Although Ohio will likely have more overdose deaths this year than last, local courts and organizations are working to help people recover without penalty.

Answers to Civics Essential quiz: Opioids and the pandemic

Technology helps communities and organizations get the word out about ballot issues

Part of the responsibility of information gathering still lies with the voters — especially in rural areas — but there are people trying to get the information out through as many channels as possible.