2024 OJACC Achievement Award Recipients
OJACC created four awards to be given to Ohioans whose work has contributed to the improvement of community corrections.
Representative C. J. McLin Award
The late Representative C.J. McLin, Jr., during his tenure in the General Assembly, actively worked to improve community corrections through funding and legislative change. The award is given annually to an elected official in Ohio who has worked towards the improvement of community corrections in Ohio.
Awarded to:
Sheriff Rob Streck
Montgomery County Sheriff, Rob Streck, has shown a tremendous amount of initiative and imagination in the performance of his duties since taking office in January 2019. The position of Sheriff is one he is passionate about and takes great pride in. He has strived to develop and maintain public trust and confidence in a field of public service that in more recent years, has been significantly criticized. As head of our county’s Stepping Up Initiative, he has been a champion in supporting this national project targeted at reducing the number of people with mental illness in jails. Furthermore, it is his partnership with our community corrections system that has been key to keeping our jail population condensed to defendants who pose a threat to public safety versus those charged with offenses secondary to a behavioral health condition.
Sheriff Streck has openly acknowledged that we cannot expect a reduction in recidivism without providing support to our community correction system which must start in our jail. Since taking office, Sheriff Streck has been dedicated to increasing programming and services for defendants in the jail that are coordinated with probation and parole. Defendants no longer must wait for services to start upon release, as they can access them while in custody and have warm hand-offs to community providers. These programs include, but are not limited to medication-assisted treatment, peer recovery services, and comprehensive discharge planning that includes Medicaid application, housing, and outpatient appointments for medical, mental health, and substance abuse treatment at release.
In 2024, Sheriff Streck welcomed senior program coordinators from the Adult Probation Department of our Common Pleas Court into the jail for group services that included curriculums in Thinking for a Change and Anger Management. By bringing in our probation partners, defendants are building meaningful connections with officers.
Sheriff Streck has also been an advocate for prevention services designed to target residents in need and assist them to avoid our criminal justice system when available. In 2022, Sheriff Streck established a Criminal Justice Outreach Division in his office. This division has been tasked with oversight of services designed to assist individuals in and outside of the jail. By implementing a Criminal Justice Outreach Director and Jail Treatment Coordinator, he ensures that not only the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office but our county’s criminal justice system in general, is represented as a stakeholder in every roundtable, workgroup, and task force that looks at bettering our systems.
Sheriff Streck is also a leader in Crisis Intervention Services and has one of the most successful CIT Co-Responder models in Montgomery County. He is active in training for crisis intervention and, in more recent years, has invited community corrections partners to participate in his Get Recovery Options Working (GROW) program. Through GROW, outreach staff, peer recovery specialist, law enforcement, and treatment providers offer education and resource materials door-to-door in neighborhoods throughout Montgomery County where we see spikes in drug trafficking , overdose, mental health crises, and homelessness.
Previous Recipients:
State Representative Phil Plummer
Hon. Teresa Ballinger
Honorable David T. Matia
Honorable Jim Slagle
Senator Merle Kearns
Sheriff James A. Telb
Honorable Charles E. Brown, Jr.
Commissioner John Dowlin
Honorable James D. Henson
Honorable Nancy R. McDonnell
Representative Cliff Skeen
Honorable Elinore Marsh Stormer
Honorable James A. Shriver
Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer
Honorable Thomas E. Louden
Honorable John Trebets
Speaker Vernal G. Riffe
Honorable James Ray
Representative Tracy Maxwell Heard
Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton
Honorable James DeWeese
Senator Rob Portman
Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine
Honorable John M. Durkin
Honorable Luann Cooperrider
Michael J. Sage
Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio
Honorable G. Haas
Senator John Eklund
Judge Keith Spaeth
Senator Charleta B. Tavares
Judge Sherrie Miday
Senator Nathan Manning
Dr. Bennett J. Cooper Award
Dr. Bennett J. Cooper was the first Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in Ohio. During his lifetime he has created many improvements in public policy towards corrections. He has worked on a national level to try to institutionalize needed changes. This award is given to a correctional administrator or policy maker who has shown a lifetime commitment to the improvement of community.
Awarded to:
Christopher Nicastro
It is with great enthusiasm that we nominate Christopher Nicastro, Deputy Director of Criminal Justice and Correctional Recovery Services, at The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, for the Dr, Bennett J. Cooper Award. Much like Dr. Bennett, Chris has devoted his career at OhioMHAS to the betterment of the community corrections field in Ohio.
One cannot have worked in the criminal justice system in Ohio and not have heard of Chris Nicastro. Chris has been instrumental in fostering the collaborative relationship between behavioral health and community corrections. Chris has always been aware of the symbiotic relationship between the two systems, first in his role as Mental Health Administrator with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, followed by his role as the Chief of Criminal Justice Services with OhioMHAS and most recently, as the Deputy Director of Criminal Justice and Correctional Recovery Services with OhioMHAS. It is difficult to think of a high performing court, jail, community corrections program or behavioral health agency that Chris has not been instrumental in assisting.
For many years, Chris has managed the jail Medication Assisted Treatment and psychotropic medication reimbursement program that has provided education, guidance, and financial assistance to jails across the state. Recently, Chris helped in the redesign of the now combined behavioral health program that also includes CBCFs. This significant change, required immense patience, understanding, and knowledge, all qualities Chris strongly possesses. Chris availed himself of the myriad of questions that came his way on a daily basis, and never once made anyone feel ill-informed or like they were a bother. One of the many traits that Chris possesses is that he treats everyone with the utmost professionalism and respect, regardless of your role in the system. Because of Chris’ relationships across the state and systems, the program saw significant growth and utilization.
Since 2023, Chris served on The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Task Force on Reentry which, released their final report and recommendations in September. This comprehensive report includes practical recommendations for each branch of the government that greatly assists in providing evidence-based, best practices and services for individuals reentering our communities, from incarceration, and will serve as the definitive roadmap for many years to come.
Chris never shies away from sharing his vast knowledge and expertise in behavioral health and criminal justice to assist his colleagues. He can always be counted on to provide the most recent information, direct one to the best resources, or to connect one with a fellow colleague across the state. Chris exudes a positive attitude and values relationship development and partnerships. Chris’ passion for the field, and his professionalism and kindness continues to play an integral role in Ohio’s continued growth and excellence.
Previous Recipients:
Lanaya McDonald
Commissioner Marilyn Brown
Phillip Nunes
Maureen O’Connor
Geno Natalucci-Persichetti
Grafton S. Payne II
Lynn Grimshaw
Sandra Cannon
Reginald A. Wilkinson
Honorable Lynett M. McGough
Edward Rhine
Karhlton Moore
Loran Alexander
Ralph Starkey
Linda Janes
Senator Bill Seitz
James Kura (posthumous)
Randy J. Gorcz
Candace Peters
Hon. Nancy A. Fuerst
Joseph Janesz
Jill Goldhart
Terry Collins
Sara Andrews
Robert Denton
James Wichtman
Thomas J. Stickrath
Gary C. Mohr
Cynthia Mausser
David Ervin
Judge Ted Barrows
Christopher Galli
Dr. Simon Dinitz Award
Dr. Simon Dinitz, through his work at the Ohio State University, has dedicated his life to improving the knowledge base of corrections. He has served on state and national commissions whose purpose was to improve corrections. As an educator he has also been responsible for training many correctional practitioners in the state. This award is given to a community correctional practitioner who has made contributions to the improvement of community corrections in Ohio.
Awarded to:
Kevin Bonecutter
Kevin Bonecutter, Interim Chief Probation Officer of the Municipal Division of the Hamilton County Adult Probation Department, is an innovative and compassionate leader. He began his career working as a Clinical Provider at Talbert House. He joined the Hamilton County Adult Probation Department in 2000, working part-time in the Community Service unit before becoming a probation officer in the Municipal Division in 2002. He was promoted to supervisor in 2006 and to Assistant Chief in 2022. In May of 2024, he became the Interim Chief Probation Officer of the Municipal Division. Kevin is a member of the Ohio Chief Probation Officer’s Association, where he participates in the Legislative Committee.
Kevin has been a strong leader, both as a supervisor and as an interim chief probation officer. In the short time he has led the Municipal Division (which serves 14 judges) as assistant and then interim chief, he has implemented a Behavior Management System, overhauling supervision levels and case plans and creating an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for those with chronic issues such as homelessness or use of heroin/fentanyl. Kevin created a Positive Recognition Bin, where staff can nominate a client who is working hard to comply with court conditions and perhaps has overcome barriers to achieve success in some facet of their lives. Every two weeks, a name is drawn and that client is able to receive a tangible reward. The unit of the officer that nominated the client is also rewarded. This has helped to change the mindset of probation officers to focus on achievements and not just on violations.
Kevin brings optimism and positivity to work every day and is instilling in the department’s officers that they have the ability to affect probationers’ lives by the way they treat their clients. Recognizing the dignity of the clients we serve has been a central tenet of Kevin’s leadership.
In his personal life, Kevin continues to inspire others. In 2023, he committed to doing 143 random acts of kindness in 40 days. His hope was to spread positivity and cause a ripple effect in our community, as well as provide teachable moments.
“One of the things I did find is that positivity attracts positivity, kindness attracts kindness. When I try to create these ripple effects that go out trying to change the world, inevitably it seems to keep coming back to me and it’s made my world and life so much more enjoyable and happy, because people keep coming to me with kindness, wanting to give back, sharing their stories of kindness, it’s been an absolute blessing to me.”
I believe the community corrections field needs more people like Kevin Bonecutter to inspire corrections professionals to bring their best selves to their careers by showing a passion for this work and treating fellow humans with kindness and dignity, while holding them accountable for behavior change.
Previous Recipients:
Molly Gauntner
Misty Cromwell
Veronica Perry, CPO
Jennifer Burnside
George Pownall, Ph.D.
Eugene Gallo
Tony Ingram
Anne Connell-Freund
Ed Dimond
Wendy Niehaus
Denise Robinson
Donna Martin-Hamparian
George Farmer
Gayle E. Benson
Merel Pickenpaugh
Mary Spottswood
Dr. Edward J. Latessa
Linda Modry
Gayle Dittmer
Bud Hite
James J. Lawrence
Mike Cantrell
Gary Yates
Brian Lovins
William D. Kroman
Daniel Peterca
Christopher T. Lowenkamp
Melissa Litteral
Juli A. Tice
Tracy Walcnciej
Cheryl Gerwig
Scott Fulton
James Wichtman Award
Jim Wichtman was one of the founders of the Ohio Community Corrections Organization, now known as the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections. Jim dedicated his career to the progressive development of community corrections with great passion and commitment. In 2006, the OJACC Board of Trustees voted to create an award in Jim’s name to honor an OJACC Board Member who has dedicated themselves to OJACC’s mission.
Awarded to:
Amy Klumpp
Amy Klumpp is the Felony Drug Court Coordinator of the Mahoning County Felony Drug Court and is employed by the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board. She has worked with the Mental Health and Recovery Board since 2005. Mahoning County Felony Drug Court is the longest running drug court in the state led by the same judge and is in its 27th year. As Drug Court Coordinator, Amy works with court-involved adults with felony-level charges, offering them substance use, mental health, family, and supportive services through the, at minimum, year-long, program. She has been a social worker for 44 years, previously working with pre-school age children.
Amy has been an active member of the OJACC Board of Trustees since 2005, representing Specialty Dockets and has served as OJACC Secretary since 2016. Amy graciously retained this position through several presidents as she understands the importance of accurately reflecting the great work that is done by the association and selfishly, states that it helps her familiarize herself with the crazy world of community corrections lingo.
Amy is a true ambassador of OJACC. She faithfully attends meetings and association events with enthusiasm and a smile on her face. She routinely goes out of her way to ensure that any new members feel welcome and understand their importance to the association. Amy makes a concerted effort to ensure that the voice of the specialized dockets and behavioral health community is considered in the work of OJACC.
Amy’s love for the work that she does and OJACC is felt by all and her service to the OJACC Board is invaluable.