Author Archives: Troy Hatfield

New IOCS Executive Director Named

03/06/2019

Chief Administrative Officer Justin Forkner has selected IOCS Justice Services Deputy Director Mary Kay Hudson to be the new Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Court Services.

Does Community Supervision Have a Future?

Full Article

The Crime Report

03/01/2019

Isidoro Rodriguez

The nation’s probation and parole systems, usually grouped under the category of Community Supervision, were designed to help people navigate the transition from prison back to civilian life—and become productive, law-abiding citizens. But they are more likely to make things worse for individuals—and by extension for their families and communities—say experts who believe it’s time […]

POPAI Submits an Amicus Curiae Brief with Court of Appeals

Full Article

UPDATE: The Indiana Court of Appeals issued an opinion on March 19, 2019 affirming the trial court.  Read the opinion here.     On January 22, 2019, POPAI authorized the filing of an Amicus Curiae brief drafted by counsel hired by the Association in the Indiana Court of Appeals case number 18A-PL-02528. In the history of […]

Senate Backs Study of Juvenile Justice System

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The Indiana Lawyer

02/22/2019

Katie Stancombe

Concerns surrounding the way Indiana adjudicates and rehabilitates its juvenile offenders has resulted in the proposal of a summer interim committee to address how adequately the juvenile justice system is governed. Authored by Republican Sens. Victoria Spartz and Aaron Freeman, Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 would assign an interim study committee the task of assessing the laws […]

Scrubbing The Past To Give Those With A Criminal Record A Second Chance

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NPR

02/19/2019

Eric Westervelt & Barbara Brosher

Latosha Poston says she made a lot of mistakes in her life. Her legal troubles began in her teens after her first child was born in Indianpolis. Over the years, bad decisions led to some arrests, some convictions. “Sometimes we get stuck in our past and let our past guide us,” she says. The 44-year-old has […]

Request for Presenters at 2019 Justice Services Conference

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Indiana Office of Court Services

01/28/2019

Indiana Office of Court Services

The Indiana Office of Court Services is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for the 2019 Justice Services Conference. The conference will be held on August 6th – 8th, 2019 at the Indiana Convention Center. The conference will include all staff from Probation, Court Alcohol and Drug Programs and Problem-Solving Courts. With the increased […]

Harris County judges unveil drastic new plan for releasing defendants on no-cash bail

Full Article

Houston Chronicle

01/18/2019

Gabrielle Banks

The new slate of Democratic judges have approved comprehensive revisions to Harris County’s bail system that could clear the way for thousands of people, regardless of income, to avoid spending time in jail while awaiting trial on minor offenses. The county judges plan to present their new court protocol to a federal judge, in a […]

Rush, Goff publish dissent on poverty as probation violation

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The Indiana Lawyer

January 16, 2019

Katie Stancombe

A split Indiana Supreme Court denied a petition to transfer a homeless man’s probation violation appeal, with two justices writing in a published dissent that the litigant was an indigent man incarcerated for probation violations that resulted from his poverty, not his intentions. Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Justice Christopher Goff both dissented from the […]

Update on Evidence-Based Pretrial Practices

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Indiana Court Times

01/15/2019

Mary Kay Hudson

Part Two In 2016, eleven counties committed to participate in local criminal justice reform initiatives through Indiana’s Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) Initiative in collaboration with the Indiana EBDM policy team (state team). Since then, all eleven counties, under the leadership of their local EBDM policy teams and guided by the state team, have launched pretrial […]

‘We Know What Types of Supervision … Help Reduce Recidivism and Incarceration’

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Pew Charitable Trusts

01/08/2019

Arizona probation chief envisions smaller, less punitive, more effective system Barbara Broderick has devoted most of her 40-year criminal justice career to improving state and local community supervision in Arizona and New York. Since December 2000, she has served as chief probation officer of the Maricopa County (Arizona) Adult Probation Department, the nation’s sixth-largest, with […]

SNAP Eligibility Changes for Felons

FSSA

01/16/2019

Suzanne Tryan

Currently, per the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, individuals who are convicted of an offense that occurred on or after 8-22-96, and had an element of possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance, are ineligible for SNAP. Indiana passed legislation (IC 12-14-30-3) effective January 1, 2020, that will allow for SNAP applicants and recipients […]

State of the Judiciary

Full Article

Indiana Supreme Court

01/16/2019

Chief Justice Loretta Rush

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush addressed the Governor and a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly for the annual State of the Judiciary. The formal update on the work of the judicial branch was held Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. EST in the chamber of the Indiana House of Representatives. Read […]

Animal shelter saves money by letting low-level offenders work off sentences

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WISH TV

01/10/2019

Elizabeth Choi

Johnson County is saving taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars by putting low-level offenders to work at an animal shelter. People who have been convicted of minor offenses, a misdemeanor or an infraction, qualify for the partnership between the court and the Johnson County Animal Shelter. A judge can order community service to be completed at the shelter. […]

Following your Friends to a Faulty Connection

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Indiana Court Times

12/04/2018

Marcus Alan McGhee

A Snapshot of New Social Media Challenges Judiciaries across the nation appear to have received the message from judicial conduct commissions regarding vitriolic posts on social media platforms. Such commentary has been condemned as indecorous and lacking the unbiased impartiality required from the bench. However, as judicial discipline cases and advisory opinions about social media […]

Newly elected misdemeanor judges drop appeal in landmark Harris County bail lawsuit

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Houston Chronicle

01/07/2019

Keri Blakinger and Gabrielle Banks

Less than a week after the new jurists were sworn into office, Harris County’s misdemeanor judges on Monday withdrew their appeal in the landmark lawsuit over local bail practices that a federal judge said unfairly targeted poor people accused of crimes. The historic litigation began in 2016, when attorneys and civil rights groups sued the […]

Probation sanction affirmed on ‘unduly harsh’ appeal

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The Indiana Lawyer

01/02/2019

Dave Stafford

A man’s argument that the execution of a suspended sentence for a crime he committed while on probation was an unduly harsh sanction failed before the Indiana Court of Appeals. The COA on Monday affirmed a Bartholomew Circuit Court order requiring Nicholas L. Porter to serve two years that had been suspended to probation after […]

Proposed Revisions to the Court Alcohol & Drug Program Rules (Dec 2018)

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Indiana Office of Court Services

12/20/2018

To the Bench, Bar and Public: The Indiana Judicial Conference Board of Directors and Court Alcohol and Drug Program Advisory Committee (CADPAC) seek public comment on proposed amendments to Rules for Court-Administered Alcohol & Drug Programs. CADPAC proposes amending five sections and adding a new section on chemical testing. The most significant change is proposed […]

Consider Donating to the Butte County Probation Officers Who Have Lost their Homes to the Camp Fire

Full Article

12/21/2018

The California Probation, Parole, and Corrections Association has a donation page for Butte County Probation staff and their families who have been evacuated or displaced (29), or lost their homes (19) in the Camp Fire. 100% of donations collected will go directly to the affected Probation Officers and their families. If you would like to […]

Suspensions Are Down In U.S. Schools But Large Racial Gaps Remain

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NPR

12/17/2018

Anya Kamenetz

Students in U.S. schools were less likely to be suspended in 2016 than they were in 2012. But the progress is incremental, and large gaps — by race and by special education status — remain. This data comes from an analysis of federal data for NPR in partnership with the nonprofit organization Child Trends. And […]

New Job Hope For Adults In Drug And Alcohol Recovery

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NPR

12/16/2018

Nina Feldman

For most of his life when he was in between jobs, Tim Tulvey would toss his resume up on a hiring site like Indeed.com. He had decades of management experience working for landscaping companies, and even owned his own pest control business for a while. “I was getting hits left and right,” Tulvey said, recalling […]

Public Defense Information Session

Indiana Task Force on Public Defense

12/14/2018

The Indiana Task Force on Public Defense has released a comprehensive report addressing the current strengths and challenges of Indiana’s public defense services. The Indiana Public Defender Commission has responded with a comprehensive public policy reform agenda. An information session will occur on Monday, December 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Indiana […]

Indiana Probation Standards & Safety and Security Guide

Indiana Office of Court Services

12/14/2018

The updates to the Probation Standards and Safety and Security Guide are now posted on the IOCS website.  Please note that standard 1.25 requires probation departments to adopt policies on suicide awareness and prevention for adult and juvenile probation officers.  New links for free online training opportunities have been added to the probation training page […]

Fentanyl A Leading Cause Of Deadly Opioid Overdoses

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WFIU/WTIU

12/13/2018

Sean Hogan

Studies are indicating fentanyl is causing more cases of deadly opioid overdoses than heroin. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that when overdosed usually results in the substance attacking areas in the brain that control respiration. Brad Ray is the Director of Indiana University Center for Health and Justice Research. He says all prescribed opioids have a […]

Hancock Co. Still Weighing How To Address Jail Overcrowding

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WFIU/WTIU

11/29/2018

Barbara Brosher

Officials in a central Indiana county says it’s more fiscally responsible to build a new jail than temporarily house some inmates in semitrailers. The biggest barrier for Hancock County continues to be funding the project. There were 242 people in the jail Thursday, which is designed to hold just under 160. The county asked taxpayers to support a […]

Recovery Works Evaluation: Phase Two Policy Brief

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Division of Mental Health and Addiction

Brad Ray, Director, Center for Criminal Justice Research and Associate Professor, IUPUI School of Public and Environmental Affairs authored the Recovery Works Evaluation: Phase Two Policy Brief with research support from Evan Lowder, PhD, Research Associate, IUPUI School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Staci Rising Paquet, Program Analyst, Center for Criminal Justice Research. Description from the report: To […]

Indianapolis’ opioid epidemic claims the most lives in just 5 percent of the city

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Indianapolis Star

10/30/2018

Ryan Martin

A new study reveals a long-suspected but previously-unproven truth in Indianapolis: Most opioid overdose deaths occur in just 5 percent of the city. And those are the same areas most wracked by violence, such as robberies and shootings. The study also provides preliminary evidence that a national public health epidemic — the opioid crisis — […]

Life, Death And The Lazarus Drug: Confronting America’s Opioid Crisis

Full Article

NPR

10/29/2018

Shankar Vedamtam, Jennifer Schmidt, Parth Shah, Tara Boyle, and Camilla Vargas-Restrepo

Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a stunning statistic. Seventy-two thousand people, it estimates, died of drug overdoses in 2017. The huge increase in deaths is largely due to heroin and powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl. One of the tools being used to fight that wave of deaths is the […]

Methamphetamine Roils Rural Towns Again Across The U.S.

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NPR

10/25/2018

Frank Morris

The sharp rise in opioid abuse and fatal overdoses has overshadowed another mounting drug problem: Methamphetamine use is rising across the United States. “Usage of methamphetamine nationally is at an all-time high,” says Erik Smith, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City office. “It is back with a vengeance.” he […]

Opioid Task Force Hearing Highlights Solutions

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Indiana Public Media

10/17/2018

Jill Sheridan

A national Opioid Task Force held a field hearing in Indianapolis this week and provided a chance for the group to hear how legal interventions aid people with a substance use disorder. The justice system is often the first point of entry for someone with an addiction. Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush sits on the […]

Addiction Treatment Gap Is Driving A Black Market For Suboxone

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NPR

10/5/2018

Jake Harper

Months in prison didn’t rid Daryl of his addiction to opioids. “Before I left the parking lot of the prison, I was shooting up, getting high,” he says. Daryl has used heroin and prescription painkillers for more than a decade. Almost four years ago he became one of more than 200 people who tested positive […]

Monroe County drug treatment program helping addicts behind bars

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Fox 59

09/26/2018

Kelly Reinke

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A drug treatment program called New Beginnings at the Monroe County Jail is helping addicts while they are still behind bars. It started a little more than a year ago and it’s finding success. New Beginnings is a 90-day re-entry program. Participants in the program take life skills classes for the last […]

Opioid crisis started 40 years ago, report argues

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NBC News

09/20/2018

Maggie Fox

Efforts to fight the epidemic must focus on more than just the availability of certain drugs, the researchers say. The current opioid overdose crisis is actually part of a 40-year trend that is still headed upward, and current efforts to fight it may not be anywhere near enough, researchers said Thursday. A new analysis of […]

Indiana Chief Justice Hails Progress Of Family Recovery Courts

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Indiana Public Media

09/18/2018

Brandon Smith

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush says she’s encouraged by progress shown in a new type of specialty court. There are several types of so-called “problem-solving” courts. They include drug courts to help with the state’s addiction epidemic and others aimed at military veterans. Rush says one of the newest types is family recovery […]

Recycle Force providing opportunity to high-risk offenders in central Indiana

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CBS 4 Indy

09/20/2018

Russ McQuaid

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Recycle Force President Gregg Keesling knows all about tearing down television sets and electronics for recycling. He’s learning more about gunshot wounds and insurance for his employees. “It is fairly common for people in our program to be shot and return back to work. We’ve had people return the next day,” said […]

Indiana Public Defender Commission Requesting Comments on Legislative/Policy Reform Agenda

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Indiana Task Force on Public Defense

09/12/2018

The Indiana Task Force on Public Defense (Task Force) presented its Final Report to the Indiana Public Defender Commission (Commission) on August 22, 2018. The report identified numerous systemic deficiencies and made recommendations for both immediate and long-term system reforms. The Commission has tentatively approved a legislative/policy reform agenda for 2019 and seeks public comment […]

Annual Justice Services Conference – CALL FOR PROPOSALS

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Indiana Office of Court Services

09/13/2018

The Indiana Office of Court Services will be holding the Justice Services Conference on August 6-8, 2019 at the Indiana Convention Center.  Though it is a year away, we are ready to start planning for this event and we would love your help!  Like last year, we are opening a Call for Papers.  If you […]

Many ‘Recovery Houses’ Won’t Let Residents Use Medicine To Quit Opioids

Full Article

NPR

09/12/2018

Nina Feldman

Cristina Rivell has been struggling with an opioid addiction since she was a teenager — going in and out of rehab for five years. The most recent time, her doctor prescribed her a low dose of buprenorphine (often known by its brand name, Suboxone), a drug that helps curb cravings for stronger opioids and prevents […]

These Indiana counties stopped requiring bail. Here’s how that’s worked.

Full Article

Indianapolis Star

08/26/2018

Billy Kobin

Nearly two years ago, 11 Indiana counties, including Hamilton and Hendricks, decided to try a different approach to handling those arrested and awaiting trial. Instead of setting money bail amounts, judges would use risk assessments to decide whether defendants should be held in jail or, more likely, simply be allowed to go home on the promise they would return […]

California Becomes First State To End Cash Bail After 40-Year Fight

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NPR

08/28/2018

Vanessa Romo

California will become the first state in the nation to abolish bail for suspects awaiting trial under a sweeping reform bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday. An overhaul of the state’s bail system has been in the works for years, and became an inevitability earlier this year when a California appellate court declared the […]

More Indiana Schools Adopting Truancy Courts To Connect Families With Resources

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WFYI Indianapolis

08/22/2018

Barbara Brosher

An increasing number of Indiana school districts are turning to truancy courts to address issues with chronic absences. But, the focus isn’t on punishing students. The state defines chronic truancy as a student having at least 10 unexcused absences during one school year. Many districts across the state are adopting policies that aim to connect […]

Can Bad Men Change? What It’s Like Inside Sex Offender Therapy

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Time

05/14/2018

Eliana Dockterman

The men file in, a few wearing pressed button-down shirts, others jeans caked in mud from work on a construction site. They meet in the living room of an old taupe bungalow on a leafy street in a small Southern city. Someone has shoved a workout bike into the corner to make room for a […]

The Pot Breathalyzer Is Here. Maybe

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NPR

08/04/2018

Eric Westervelt

As legalization of recreational and medical marijuana continues to expand, police across the country are more concerned than ever about stoned drivers taking to the nation’s roads and freeways, endangering lives. With few accurate roadside tools to detect pot impairment, police today have to rely largely on field sobriety tests developed to fight drunk driving […]

Lake Superior Judge Tavitas named to COA, succeeding Barnes

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The Indiana Lawyer

07/25/2018

Olivia Covington

Lake Superior Judge Elizabeth Tavitas was on the bench on July 18 when her phone rang with a message that would change her career. It was a call from Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, informing her that she had been selected as Indiana’s next Court of Appeals judge. “I saw his (Holcomb’s) name light up on my […]

Neglect or not? DCS study takes aim at CHINS statute

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The Indiana Lawyer

07/25/2018

Katie Stancombe

It’s not uncommon for the Indiana Department of Child Services to hear it doesn’t have enough evidence to support its child welfare cases. Children in need of services cases that enter the court often leave shredded by judges for lack of a sufficient reasoning as to why they came before the bench without enough evidence […]

Proposed POPAI Bylaws Revisions

07/13/2018

Troy Hatfield

Greetings POPAI Membership: According to the POPAI Bylaws, Article XIV AMENDMENTS These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by the membership if a quorum is present at any regular or special meeting. Written notice of any proposed alteration to the bylaws shall be submitted to the President of the Executive Board at least sixty (60) […]

The Legacy of Jane Seigel

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Indiana Court Times

06/21/2018

Justin P. Forkner

“Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” —Hamilton: An American Musical, by Lin-Manuel Miranda Jane Seigel officially retired on April 30, after 19 years of service to the Indiana Supreme Court. To Lin-Manuel Miranda’s point, the garden of reforms, outcomes, and initiatives Jane has planted will […]

John Legend and Rashad Robinson: End money bail now

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CNN

05/22/2018

John Legend and Rashad Robinson

(CNN) – No one should have to stay in jail because they lack the money to buy their freedom. Yet every night, according to the Justice Department’s statistics, nearly 450,000 people who have not been convicted of a crime sit in jail, a large number trapped there simply because they don’t have enough money to post bail. […]

Bail reform’s complex relationship with tech

Full Article

TechCrunch

05/20/2018

Megan Rose Dickey

On any given day in the United States, more than 450,000 people are behind bars awaiting their constitutionally mandated fair trial. None of them have been convicted of a crime — they’ve been accused of committing a crime, but no formal ruling of guilt or innocence has been made. That means these hundreds of thousands […]

Bail-bond industry suffers another blow as Facebook and Google ban ads

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NBC News

05/08/2018

Jon Schuppe

Google and Facebook, the world’s most dominant online-advertising companies, will no longer take money from America’s for-profit bail bond agencies, siding with a growing national movement to eliminate cash bail from the criminal justice system. The two tech giants said this week that their decisions to block bail-bond ads were part of a broader effort to […]

Applications Open for New Innovation Fund Grants

Full Article

05/01/2018

There is tremendous local-level innovation occurring across the country aimed at reducing incarceration and making the criminal justice system more fair and effective at protecting communities. To support such innovative thinking nationwide, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has partnered with the Urban Institute to launch the Innovation Fund. The purpose of the Innovation Fund is to […]

2018 POPAI Elections – Time to Submit Intent to Run

05/09/2018

It’s time for the annual POPAI Elections. Up for election in 2018: President Secretary District 2 District 4 District 6 District 8 POPAI District 5 Representative Melanie Pitstick is serving as the Election Committee Chair. Intent to Run Form The Intent to Run form must be sent to Melanie by July 6, 2018 (postmarked, emailed, […]

IU researchers release recommendations to combat Indiana’s opioid addictions crisis

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Indiana University

04/26/2018

Indiana University

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — As the opioid crisis deepens across the country, researchers at Indiana University have released a series of research-driven, potential solutions. Their report is part of the university’s Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenge initiative. The researchers call for broader and more robust harm-reduction strategies, programs to reduce the stigma of substance use […]

Ind. Supreme Court Case Illustrates Challenges With Juvenile Justice System

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WFYI Indianapolis

04/20/2018

Barbara Brosher

The Indiana Supreme Court heard arguments Friday in a case that raises questions about what avenues juveniles have for seeking relief if they think their cases weren’t handled properly. The case illustrates larger challenges with Indiana’s juvenile justice system, because kids don’t have the same avenues for relief as adults in the criminal justice system. […]

Veterans court aims to help troubled vets in Howard County

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WISH-TV

04/24/2018

Eric Feldman

KOKOMO, Ind. (WISH) — Some veterans in trouble with the law will have the chance to avoid jail time by participating in a new program to help steer their lives in the right direction. It’s called veterans court. It’s already being done in several places around the state, including Marion and Hamilton counties, but a […]

COA Remands for Clarification of Vague Probation Conditions

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Indiana Lawyer

03/20/2018

Olivia Covington

The Vigo Superior Court must provide a man convicted of resisting and spitting on local law enforcement officers with a written list of his specific probation conditions after the Indiana Court of Appeals found discrepancies and vagueness in the conditions provided. In Dustin McCarty v. State of Indiana, 84A04-1707-CR-1599, a Terre Haute police officer encountered Dustin […]

Indiana 1st in Country to Use Software to Connect those with Addiction to Drug Treatment

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Indianapolis Star

03/16/2018

Shari Rudavsky

Linking people with substance use disorders to the treatment they need to kick their addiction has just become easier in Indiana. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Thursday announced a new partnership with a software platform that can help social workers find openings at treatment facilities. The partnership, funded by money from the 21st Century Cures […]

Missing: Criminal Justice Data

Full Article

New York Times

03/21/2018

Amy Bach

Criminal justice data in this country is hard to come by. It can be messy and difficult to understand. And in many cases, the data doesn’t exist at all. How many people are in jail? For what crimes? For how long? Are people in jail mostly awaiting trial? Are they there for being unable to […]

Jobs around Indiana

Full Article

02/16/2018

We currently have seven jobs posted on the POPAI website.  Positions are open in Ripley, Monroe, Lawrence, Jasper, Madison, Huntington, and Wayne Counties. The Indiana Association of Community Corrections Act Counties also has jobs posted on their website:  IACCAC Jobs. Please check out the job postings!

Indiana University launches Phase One projects for statewide addictions initiative

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Indiana University

02/05/2018

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University School of Nursing Dean and Distinguished Professor Robin Newhouse has announced the Phase One projects of the Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenges initiative. As part of IU’s $50 million commitment to prevent, reduce and treat addictions in Indiana, initial pilot grants feature collaborative teams of faculty members, researchers, community organizations […]

Corrections board approves merger

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Kokomo Perspective

January 29, 2018

Devin Zimmerman

Probation, corrections merger hoped to help with caseload overload Big changes are in the works for the local judicial system. Last week the Howard County Community Corrections Advisory Board unanimously approved an agreement aimed at merging the local probation and community corrections department. With the probation department bogged down by high caseloads, officials hope the […]

With two inmates, Howard Co. work release center up and running

Full Article

Kokomo Tribune

January 25, 2018

George Myers

The Howard County work release center has accepted its first two inmates, bringing an end to months of anticipation and speculation about the much-debated program. The center, housed in the former county jail on Berkley Road, received its first inmate Wednesday and its second Thursday, and has already displayed, in a small way, the effect […]

Statewide symposium to address opioid crisis in rural Indiana

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Purdue University Agricultural Communications

11/30/2017

Darrin Pack

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A consortium of eight Indiana agricultural and public health organizations will host a statewide symposium focusing on the significant impact of the opioid crisis in rural and farming communities. The symposium is scheduled for Jan. 5, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Boone County Fairgrounds, 1300 Hwy. 100 S, Lebanon. […]

Study: Poverty, jail time linked

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Sentinel & Enterprise

12/26/2017

Sam Cote

Boston University Statehouse Program BOSTON — Consider this: You are fined as punishment for some offense. You can’t pay this fine and wind up in jail. Upon release you still don’t have the money to pay the fine or the means to avoid the behavior you were fined for in the first place. You are […]

Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Annual Evaluation of Indiana’s Criminal Code Reform

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Indiana Criminal Justice Institute

12/01/2017

House Enrolled Act 1006 (HEA1006; July 1, 2014), also known as Public Law 168, mandates that the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) provide a comprehensive annual report of HEA1006’s impact on the Indiana criminal justice system. Annual reports in 2015 and 2016 were completed by the Sagamore Institute.  ICJI sought to build on the Sagamore […]

First Annual Justice Services Conference – CALL FOR PROPOSALS

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Indiana Office of Court Services

10/24/2017

The Indiana Office of Court Services has announced the First Annual Justice Services Conference to be held on May 9th – 11th, 2018 at the Indiana Convention Center.  The conference will include all staff from Probation, Court Alcohol and Drug Programs and Problem-Solving Courts.  With the increased number of sessions being offered, they have opened […]

What To Make Of A Head-To-Head Test Of Addiction Treatments

Full Article

NPR

11/16/2017

Jake Harper

Addiction specialists caution against reading too much into a new study released this week that compares two popular medications for opioid addiction. This much-anticipated research is the largest study so far to directly compare the widely used treatment Suboxone with relative newcomer Vivitrol. Researchers who compared the two drugs found them equally effective once treatment […]

To Save Opioid Addicts, This Experimental Court Is Ditching The Delays

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NPR

October 5, 2017

Eric Westervelt

There’s about 10 feet between Judge Craig Hannah’s courtroom bench and the place where a defendant stands to be arraigned here in Buffalo City Court. But for 26-year-old Caitlyn Stein, it has been a long, arduous 10 feet. “This is your first day back! Good to see you!” Judge Hannah says as he greets her. […]

How Harris County’s federal bail lawsuit spreads beyond Houston

Full Article

The Texas Tribune

10/02/2017

Jolie McCullough

The next chapter in Harris County’s saga over bail practices is set to play out in federal court Tuesday morning, and officials involved in pretrial processes throughout Texas are holding their breath. The state’s most populous county is involved in a complicated fight over how its bail procedures impact poor misdemeanor defendants awaiting trial. A federal lawsuit questions the constitutionality of the […]

POST BAIL – America’s justice system runs on the exchange of money for freedom. Some say that’s unfair. But can data fix it?

Full Article

NBC News

08/22/2017

Jon Schuppe

JERSEY CITY, N.J. ─ On the ground floor of a deteriorating county courthouse, in a room outfitted with temporary office furniture and tangles of electrical wires, a cornerstone of America’s criminal justice system is crumbling. A 20-year-old man in a green jail jumpsuit appears on a video monitor that faces a judge. It is early June, and he […]

Getting the Mentally Ill Out of Jails

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The Pew Charitable Trusts

04/07/2017

Michael Ollove

A dearth of beds at state psychiatric hospitals in many parts of the country and shortages of mental health resources mean that mentally ill people who commit minor crimes often end up languishing in jails, which are poorly equipped to handle their illnesses. It’s a difficult problem that, without intervention, creates a grim cyclical pattern: […]

Indiana Courts Public Portal

Full Article

06/30/2017

The Indiana Supreme Court has created a one-stop shop for public information and other tools. Using the Indiana Courts Public Portal (https://public.courts.in.gov/home/portal) you can quickly find links to search trial court cases (myCase) and protection orders. You will also find links to helpful tools such as a criminal sentence credit time calculator and child support […]

Information Sharing Guide

Full Article

Indiana Court Times

05/30/2017

Court Times

Mobile app provides guidance on sharing children’s records Do you know how to obtain children’s educational, court, or health records? Do you know under what circumstances you can share these records with others? There is a mobile app to help you with these complex questions: the Information Sharing Guide. The Commission on Improving the Status […]

After Thousands Of Inmates Released Early, Probation Officers Will Be Watching

Full Article

NPR

November 3, 2015

Carrie Johnson

  Over the past few days, thousands of federal prisoners have been leaving confinement early and returning to their communities — the result of changes to sentencing guidelines for drug-related crimes. And who will be monitoring those former inmates? In some ways, the buck stops with Matthew Rowland. He’s the chief of the probation and […]

HEA 1006 Power Point from Probation Officer Regional Meetings

Indiana Judicial Center

11/22/2015

At the Probation Officer Regional Meetings this year, the Indiana Judicial Center (IJC) presented information on HEA 1006 grant funding. The attached Power Point presented by IJC includes highlights, application tips, collaboration examples, and information about the grant requests coming out very shortly. Any questions should be directed to Jane Seigel, Jenny Bauer, and/or Mary […]

Professionals tackle the issue of juveniles in solitary

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NUVO

09/30/2015

Mary Kuhlman

Experts attending a conference in Phoenix, Arizona this week are saying “no more solitary confinement for kids.” The harm it causes, including deaths, is too great according to advocates at the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) 2015 Inter-Site Conference. JDAI programs are in place in 19 Indiana counties, with the goal of keeping kids out […]