Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 2967
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13 (2026)

Eligibility for parole

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Effective:
April 4, 2023
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 288 - 134th General Assembly
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(A) Except as provided in division (G) of this section or section 2967.132 of the Revised Code, a prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for life for an offense committed on or after July 1, 1996, is not entitled to any earned credit under division (A)(2) or (3) of section 2967.193 or 2967.194 of the Revised Code and becomes eligible for parole as follows:

(1) If a sentence of imprisonment for life was imposed for the offense of murder, at the expiration of the prisoner's minimum term;

(2) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty years of imprisonment was imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of twenty years;

(3) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment was imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of twenty-five full years;

(4) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment was imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of thirty full years;

(5) If a sentence of imprisonment for life was imposed for rape, after serving a term of ten full years' imprisonment;

(6) If a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving fifteen years of imprisonment was imposed for a violation of section 2927.24 of the Revised Code, after serving a term of fifteen years.

(B) Except as provided in division (G) of this section or section 2967.132 of the Revised Code, a prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty years of imprisonment or a sentence of imprisonment for life with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years or thirty full years of imprisonment imposed pursuant to section 2929.022 or 2929.03 of the Revised Code for an offense committed on or after July 1, 1996, consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, becomes eligible for parole after serving twenty years, twenty full years, or thirty full years, as applicable, as to each such sentence of life imprisonment, which shall not be reduced for earned credits under division (A)(2) or (3) of section 2967.193 or 2967.194 of the Revised Code, plus the term or terms of the other sentences consecutively imposed or, if one of the other sentences is another type of life sentence with parole eligibility, the number of years before parole eligibility for that sentence.

(C) Except as provided in division (G) of this section or section 2967.132 of the Revised Code, a prisoner serving consecutively two or more sentences in which an indefinite term of imprisonment is imposed becomes eligible for parole upon the expiration of the aggregate of the minimum terms of the sentences.

(D) Except as provided in division (G) of this section or section 2967.132 of the Revised Code, a prisoner serving a term of imprisonment who is described in division (A) of section 2967.021 of the Revised Code becomes eligible for parole as described in that division or, if the prisoner is serving a definite term of imprisonment, shall be released as described in that division.

(E) Except as provided in section 2967.132 of the Revised Code, a prisoner serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2907.02 or section 2929.03 or 2929.06 of the Revised Code is not eligible for parole and shall be imprisoned until death.

(F) A prisoner serving a stated prison term that is a non-life felony indefinite prison term shall be released in accordance with sections 2967.271 and 2967.28 of the Revised Code. A prisoner serving a stated prison term of any other nature shall be released in accordance with section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

(G) Except as provided in section 2967.132 of the Revised Code, a prisoner serving a prison term or term of life imprisonment without parole imposed pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code never becomes eligible for parole during that term of imprisonment.

Last updated January 25, 2023 at 10:14 AM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 119 cases (42 in the last 5 years), 1969–2026 · leading case: Ridenour v. Collins, 692 F. Supp. 2d 827 (S.D. Ohio 2010).
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Ridenour v. Collins, 692 F. Supp. 2d 827 (S.D. Ohio 2010). · cites it 22× “See Ohio Rev.Code § 2967.13 (eff. 3-28-1965).”
Layne v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 780 N.E.2d 548 (Ohio 2002). · cites it 3× “In our view, meaningful consideration for parole consists of more than a parole hearing *464 in which an inmate’s offense of conviction is disregarded and parole eligibility is judged largely, if not entirely, on an offense category score that does not correspond to the offense…”
Layne v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 2002-Ohio-6719, 97 Ohio St. 3d 456. · cites it 3× “While plea bargains are at issue in these matters, we note that, according to the APA guidelines, even if an offender is “acquitted” at trial of one offense and convicted of a lesser included offense, the APA is not precluded from placing the offender in an offense category…”
Nelson v. Mohr, 2013-Ohio-4506. · cites it 9× “" Appellants maintain they have a property interest right to receive a meaningful parole hearing based upon R.”
State v. Delvallie, 2022-Ohio-470, 185 N.E.3d 536. “193(A); R.C. 2967.13. This idea is also nothing new.”
State v. Henderson (Slip Opinion), 2020-Ohio-4784, 162 N.E.3d 776. “3 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO {¶ 3} On March 31, 2009, Henderson filed a motion for sentencing in which he argued that his sentence was unconstitutional and void because the judge imposed a term of postrelease control.”
State v. Statzer, 2016-Ohio-7434. · cites it 3× “Moreover, R.C. 2967.13(A) states that it governs parole eligibility except as provided in subsection (G).”
State v. Logan, 2025-Ohio-1772, 267 N.E.3d 667. · cites it 2× “191 of the Revised Code or when parole is authorized for the offense under section 2967.13 of the Revised Code shall not reduce the term or terms pursuant to section 2929.”
State v. Johnson, 116 Ohio St. 3d 541 (2008). · cites it 2× “191 [credit for confinement awaiting trial] of the Revised Code or when parole is authorized for the offense under section 2967.13 of the Revised Code shall not reduce the terms pursuant to section 2929.”
State v. DePew, 528 N.E.2d 542 (Ohio 1988). “this does not involve a total misstatement of the law (see R.C. 2967.13 [D] and [E]), it certainly could be construed as misleading.”
State ex rel. Cobb v. Adult Parole Auth. (Slip Opinion), 2018-Ohio-4745, 122 N.E.3d 1191. · cites it 2× “” R.C. 2967.13(A)(1). If the APA had incorrectly believed that Cobb’s sentence was 23 years to life, as Cobb suggests, then his first parole hearing would not have been held until 2020.”
State v. Peters, 2023-Ohio-4362, 231 N.E.3d 37. · cites it 2× “191 of the Revised Code or when parole is authorized for the offense under section 2967.13 of the Revised Code shall not reduce the term or terms pursuant to section 2929.”
Show all 119 citing cases →
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(A): 25 cases
Layne v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 780 N.E.2d 548 (Ohio 2002). “In our view, meaningful consideration for parole consists of more than a parole hearing *464 in which an inmate’s offense of conviction is disregarded and parole eligibility is judged largely, if not entirely, on an offense category score that does not correspond to the offense…”
Layne v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 2002-Ohio-6719, 97 Ohio St. 3d 456. “While plea bargains are at issue in these matters, we note that, according to the APA guidelines, even if an offender is “acquitted” at trial of one offense and convicted of a lesser included offense, the APA is not precluded from placing the offender in an offense category…”
State v. Eaton, 2022-Ohio-2432, 192 N.E.3d 1236.
State ex rel. Keith v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth. (Slip Opinion), 2014-Ohio-4270, 24 N.E.3d 1132.
State v. Statzer, 2016-Ohio-7434. “Moreover, R.C. 2967.13(A) states that it governs parole eligibility except as provided in subsection (G).”
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(A)(1): 11 cases
State ex rel. Cobb v. Adult Parole Auth. (Slip Opinion), 2018-Ohio-4745, 122 N.E.3d 1191. “” R.C. 2967.13(A)(1). If the APA had incorrectly believed that Cobb’s sentence was 23 years to life, as Cobb suggests, then his first parole hearing would not have been held until 2020.”
State v. White, 2021-Ohio-1644.
State v. Watson, 2023-Ohio-1469, 213 N.E.3d 1175.
State v. Evans, 2011-Ohio-2153.
State ex rel. Holman v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 2023-Ohio-692, 220 N.E.3d 801.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(A)(4): 2 cases
State v. Miller, 2014-Ohio-2936.
State v. West, 2012-Ohio-2758.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(A)(5): 4 cases
State v. Collins, 2018-Ohio-4760.
State v. Statzer, 2016-Ohio-7434. “Moreover, R.C. 2967.13(A) states that it governs parole eligibility except as provided in subsection (G).”
State v. Henry, 2017-Ohio-2902.
Fitch v. May, No. 2:23-cv-00206 (S.D. Ohio Jan. 22, 2024).
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(B): 9 cases
State v. Benton, 695 N.E.2d 757 (Ohio 1998).
State v. Garduno, 2013-Ohio-4300.
State v. Henry, 446 N.E.2d 436 (Ohio 1983).
Jefferson v. Morris, 548 N.E.2d 296 (Ohio Ct. App. 4th Dist. 1988).
State v. Jefferson, 2020-Ohio-3182.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(C): 6 cases
State ex rel. Vaughn v. Money, 104 Ohio St. 3d 322 (2004).
State v. Stevens, 07-Ca-0004, 2008 Ohio 6027 (Ohio Ct. App. 5th Dist. 2008).
State ex rel. Johnson v. Shoemaker, 451 N.E.2d 1231 (Ohio 1983).
Cromety v. Ohio Dept. of Rehab. & Corr., 2016-Ohio-5947.
State v. Garcia-Gutierrez, 2026-Ohio-1901.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(E): 1 case
State v. Baughn, 2020-Ohio-5566.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(F): 4 cases
State v. Bates, 887 N.E.2d 328 (Ohio 2008).
State ex rel. Stokes v. Dept. of Rehab. & Corr., 2023-Ohio-4201, 229 N.E.3d 1178.
Chojnacki v. Mohr, 2018-Ohio-1167, 110 N.E.3d 689.
Chojnacki v. Mohr, 2019-Ohio-4622.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(G): 2 cases
State v. Statzer, 2016-Ohio-7434. “Moreover, R.C. 2967.13(A) states that it governs parole eligibility except as provided in subsection (G).”
State ex rel. Dodson v. Held Phipps, 2023-Ohio-3639.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(H): 2 cases
State ex rel. Ellis v. Adult Parole Auth., 2025-Ohio-1625, 261 N.E.3d 356.
State ex rel. Ellis v. Adult Parole Auth., 2025-Ohio-1625, 261 N.E.3d 356.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(I): 1 case
Cromety v. Ohio Dept. of Rehab. & Corr., 2016-Ohio-5947.
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(K): 2 cases
Yonkings v. Wilkinson, 714 N.E.2d 394 (Ohio 1999).
Yonkings v. Wilkinson, 86 Ohio St. 3d 225 (1999).
Ohio Rev. Code § 2967.13(L): 1 case
17ap-845, 2018-Ohio-2372.
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