COLUMBUS — A year and a half after the state law creating it was passed, state officials on Tuesday finally added the first two names to a statewide registry designed to keep abusive workers out of homes and institutions for Ohio's mentally retarded.

        The addition of the first names to the list “sends a strong message that we will not tolerate abuse from those who seek to harm people in the system,” said Robert Jennings, spokesman for the Department of Mental Retardation.

        The registry, approved by lawmakers in November 2000, was touted at the time as a way to list every person convicted, and even those strongly suspected, of abusing mentally retarded people.

        The idea was to keep bad workers from moving from one facility to another by listing their names on a Web site easily accessed by owners of nursing homes, group homes and other agencies that provide care to the mentally impaired.

        But the registry has been slow to take shape, in part because of the amount of time it takes to give abuse suspects hearings and chances to object. Names can be added to the registry only if the department decides there is clear and convincing evidence that the person abused someone.

        The department can use police investigations, home inspection reports and job arbitration hearings as evidence. A criminal conviction isn't mandatory.

        Even with convictions, though, the process of putting people on a registry can still take months or even years.

        Jerome Jordan of Cincinnati, for example, was convicted of raping a mentally disabled woman in January 2001, but his name wasn't added to the list until Tuesday. Mr. Jordan, 51, is serving a three-year prison sentence.

        The other man on the registry, James Canty, 41, was convicted of assaulting a mentally retarded man in January 2001. He was sentenced to seven months in the county jail.

        The department had no other information available on either case.

        Mr. Jennings acknowledged the state has a long way to go before it can list everyone convicted or strongly suspected of abusing mentally retarded victims.

        He said six other suspected abusers have been notified that they are eligible to attend hearings before their names will be added to the registry.

        Twenty-two other cases are still being reviewed by the department but haven't yet reached the hearing stage.

        “The registry has certain rules that have to be followed, and there will always be lag time because of due process,” Mr. Jennings said.

        Still, he said, officials in the department are “pleased there are two people that won't have access or free rein to abuse people in our system.”

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