Ohio's Felony Prison Ranges by Degree
Under R.C. 2929.14, each felony degree has its own statutory range of available prison terms if prison is imposed. A fifth-degree felony (F5) runs 6 to 12 months; a fourth-degree felony (F4) runs 6 to 18 months. Third-degree felonies (F3) generally run 9 to 36 months, though certain specifically designated F3 offenses carry a higher 12-to-60-month range — which range applies depends on the specific offense. For many second- and first-degree felonies committed on or after March 22, 2019, Ohio uses indefinite sentencing: the judge selects a minimum term (2 to 8 years for an F2, 3 to 11 years for an F1), and a corresponding maximum is calculated under Ohio law — in a basic single-offense case, generally the minimum plus 50%. A six-year minimum, for example, ordinarily carries a nine-year maximum. The minimum is not automatically the actual release date; Ohio law permits continued incarceration beyond it under specified circumstances.
These are the general statutory ranges. Numerous offenses carry their own special sentencing provisions that override the ordinary ranges — the specific offense charged, not just its degree, controls the real exposure.
Mandatory, Presumed, Discretionary — or Prohibited
Whether prison actually happens depends on which of four categories the offense falls into. Prison can be mandatory (the court has no choice), presumed (Ohio law favors prison, but the presumption can be overcome), fully discretionary (the judge decides between prison and community control), or, for many qualifying F4 and F5 offenses under R.C. 2929.13, community control can be required by law — when the offense isn't one of violence, the defendant has no prior felony conviction, the most serious charge at sentencing is an F4 or F5, and there's no qualifying misdemeanor offense of violence within the preceding two years. In other words, "it's a felony, so I'm going to prison" is often simply wrong at the lower degrees, while at the higher end mandatory and presumptive-prison provisions can remove the court's discretion entirely. Community control itself — felony probation — can run up to five years under R.C. 2929.15 and can include testing, treatment, electronic monitoring, a community-based correctional facility, or other conditions; violating it can bring the case back for a prison sentence.
Specifications & Consecutive Sentences Can Multiply Exposure
The degree on the indictment is only part of the exposure. A specification — most commonly a firearm specification — is separate from the underlying charge and, if the State proves it, can add mandatory prison time served consecutively to the sentence for the underlying felony. And when a defendant faces multiple counts, the court must decide whether the sentences run concurrently (at the same time, so the longest term controls) or consecutively (stacked, one after another). Ohio law generally favors concurrent sentences unless consecutive sentencing is authorized and the court makes the specific findings the law requires — but when it applies, someone facing several felony counts can face far more time than the maximum for any single count.
After release, many felony sentences carry post-release control supervision: generally five years for felony sex offenses, two to five years for other F1 offenses, eighteen months to three years for F2 offenses, and up to two or three years for F3, F4, and F5 offenses depending on the offense and the parole board's determination. Violating post-release control can send someone back to prison. For an eligible individual already serving a prison term, judicial release under R.C. 2929.20 offers a separate path to ask the court to reduce the remaining nonmandatory portion of the sentence.