(A) If a prisoner escapes from a state correctional institution, the managing officer of the institution, after consultation with and upon the advice of appropriate law enforcement officials, shall assign and deploy into the community appropriate staff persons necessary to apprehend the prisoner. Correctional officers and officials may carry firearms when required in the discharge of their duties in apprehending, taking into custody, or transporting to a place of confinement a prisoner who has escaped from a state correctional institution.

(B) If a prisoner is released from a state correctional institution prior to the lawful end of the person's prison term or term of imprisonment, whether by error, inadvertence, fraud, or any other cause except a lawful parole or judicial release granted pursuant to section 2929.20 of the Revised Code or the successful completion of a risk reduction sentence under section 5120.036 of the Revised Code, the managing officer of the institution, after consulting with the bureau of sentence computation, shall notify the chief of the adult parole authority, the office of victim services of the division of parole and community services, and the sentencing court of the mistaken release. Upon the direction of the chief, or the chief's designee, field officers of the authority may arrest the prisoner without a warrant and return the prisoner to the state correctional institution to complete the balance of the prisoner's sentence. The chief of the adult parole authority, or the chief's designee, may require the assistance of any peace officer or law enforcement officer in the apprehension of a prisoner of that nature.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.29, HB 86, §1, eff. 9/30/2011.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003 .