(Editor’s Note: See POPAI’s Mentorship Program for Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs, and Probation Supervisors.) The research on the power of mentorship is pretty clear: People with mentors perform better, advance in their careers faster, and even experience more work-life satisfaction. And mentors benefit, too. After all, “to teach is to learn twice.” Despite all these benefits, and even though 76% of […]
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana will use nearly $1 million in federal funds to pay for the distribution of the opioid reversal drug naloxone to reach Hoosiers who are at risk of overdose, officials said Monday.
Judges side with Zoom as their top choice of platforms for remote court hearings during the COVID-19 crisis, a National Judicial College survey found. An unscientific poll received more than 700 responses from jurists nationwide, 48% of whom said Zoom is their go-to platform for remote video court proceedings. The WebEx platform was a distant second […]
Julie L. Whitman, MSW, Executive Director | Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana
The Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana hosted the Indiana Youth Institute’s “State of the Child” presentation at the State House on February 25. The State of the Child has become an annual event to launch the most recent version of the Indiana KIDS COUNT Data Book. Every year IYI publishes this compilation of the […]
COMMENTARY | Many small businesses won’t survive, and that will change the landscape of American commerce for years to come. Outside of Boston, a marketing company is struggling to figure out how to cover its bills. In Indiana, a dance studio is waiting on three emergency-loan applications. In Baltimore, a deli is closed and desperate […]
A man who confessed to burning down two Indiana covered bridges has had his guilty but mentally ill verdict reversed by a divided Indiana Supreme Court. The 3-2 majority cited unanimous expert opinion that the defendant is legally insane in overturning a jury’s conclusion. In 2005, Jesse Payne was charged with two counts of arson […]
MGIA Indiana Chapter 2020 State Training August 18 & 19, 2020 Hosted by Indiana Chapter of MGIA Location Embassy Suites by Hilton South Bend at Notre Dame 1140 E. Angela Blvd., South Bend, Indiana 46617 16 hours of ILEA Certified Training Lunch is on your own. Refreshments will be on-site. Training Schedule Registration: Starts at […]
Leaders in at least a handful of states have made clear there will be limits on who can claim unemployment and general worker concerns about safety likely won’t pass muster. As some states begin to reopen their economies beyond just essential businesses, many workers remain leery about the prospect of returning to work due to warnings from […]
The Indiana Supreme Court, in concert with other state officials, is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and has responded with guidance for state and local courts. This page is updated daily with information about how courts are continuing operations while maintaining safe practices and complying with the Governor’s executive orders issued March 23. Latest Updates […]
New Castle, Ind. – Like so many other employers across Indiana, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) has been impacted by members of the workforce contracting the COVID-19 virus. While other businesses may be able to operate with a reduction in their workforce, the unique duties performed by correctional staff must continue with proper staffing levels. […]
Indiana Supreme Court justices have permitted the expansion of remote proceedings until further order amid the coronavirus public-health emergency. “Pursuant to Indiana Administrative Rule 17 and this Court’s inherent authority to supervise the administration of all courts of this state, the Court finds that the trial courts’ efficient and effective operation to hold timely hearings […]
Carlisle, Ind. – Several facilities in the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) have joined in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by making fabric masks for both inside the facilities and in the community. However, facilities are starting to run out of the needed supplies to continue the production of masks. That’s where you come […]
We are now accepting Intent to Run Forms from POPAI Members ready to serve on the Board. Up for election in 2020: President Secretary District 2 District 4 District 6 District 8 Intent to Run Form (docx) The Intent to Run form must be sent to Michael by Friday July 11, 2020 (postmarked, emailed, or […]
A framework to improve probation and parole Overview Since 1980, the nation’s community supervision population has ballooned by almost 240 percent. As of 2016, 1 in 55 U.S. adults (nearly 4.5 million people) are on probation or parole, more than twice the number incarcerated in state and federal prisons and local jails. Historically, probation and […]
As flare ups between states and localities over the coronavirus response get attention, one scholar says it may be a good time to reexamine the relationship between the two levels of government. Whether it’s plastic bag bans, minimum wage hikes, paid sick leave or a host of other issues, localities around the U.S. in recent […]
I’ve added two resources to the COVID-19 page. The new operations resource is a PDF document to help you order PPE from the DOC: PPE Supplies from IDOC (PDF document includes products and ordering information) Aspire Indiana is offering a free Psychological First Aid Course. “The Psychological Footprint of COVID19 will last longer and have […]
(The article is free as part of The Daily Beast Coronavirus coverage) Authorities nationwide are reporting an uptick in fatal opioid overdoses during social distancing. Lynn sat in the parking lot of her opioid treatment clinic in Columbus, Ohio, for hours on a recent Tuesday. Like in other parts of the country, the coronavirus pandemic […]
Indianapolis Business Journal Staff and Lindsey Erdody
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he will ease social distancing restrictions in all but three counties starting Monday. In a new executive order released Friday that goes into effect Monday and lasts through May 23, retailers — including malls — will be allowed to open at 50% capacity; manufacturers not currently operating will be permitted […]
Interview with Anderson Cooper “I love you guys with all my heart and you’ve given me the best life I could have ever asked for.” That’s the beginning of a goodbye note one woman found on her husband’s phone after he died from coronavirus this week. Jonathan Coelho, [probation officer] 32, passed away on April […]
Vinton County, Ohio, has been on the front lines of the opioid crisis in the U.S. for several years. The drugs may have changed over the years — from opioids to meth — but the devastating effects on families have not. And even though the county hasn’t had high infection rates of the coronavirus, the necessary […]
So, special “care packs” are being sent. BLOOMINGTON — At the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Office, Juvenile Division, there is no “business as usual” these days. Chief Probation Officer Linda Brady says virtual and telephone appointments have replaced face-to-face connections between probation officers and the juveniles they are assigned to. Because of that, Brady says […]
(BEDFORD) – In early February 2020 Justice Steven H. David of the Indiana Supreme Court, Chair of the Executive Committee for the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI), sent a letter to Indiana judges seeking interest and commitment to the JDAI initiative. Lawrence County Juvenile Referee, Anah Hewetson Gouty, submitted a Statement of Interest for Lawrence […]
The man accused of shooting two Indiana judges in a May 1 morning melee in a downtown Indianapolis White Castle parking lot is asking a judge to unseal evidence — including surveillance video of the incident — that his attorneys say is critical to his claim that he acted in self-defense. The state counters that […]
Early one morning in March, Madison McIntosh showed up on his day off at the Scottsdale, Arizona, driving range and restaurant where he worked. The 24-year-old sat in his car until the place opened, then wandered around all day, alternating between gibberish and talk of suicide as co-workers tried to keep him away from customers. […]
Probation Officer Donald Knepple was shot and killed on April 28, 1997 after being ambushed by a man at a counseling center on South Calhoun Street in Fort Wayne. The suspect, a former juvenile corrections officer who had been convicted of attempted child molestation, had arranged a meeting with his counselor and Probation Officer Knepple […]
Ten prisoners in state Department of Correction facilities have now tested positive for COVID-19, along with 20 agency employees, prompting questions to WFIU’s City Limits: Coronavirus about how social distancing measures are being implemented in prisons and county jails. Since the middle of March, inmates entering the Monroe County Jail in Bloomington have been monitored […]
Indianapolis, Ind – On the day IMPD Officer Breann Leath was laid to rest Governor Eric Holcomb announced the Wee Ones Nursery at the Indiana Women’s Prison would be renamed as the ‘Officer Breann Leath Memorial Maternal & Child Health Unit.’ The announcement was made by Gov. Eric Holcomb at the beginning of his daily […]
An Indianapolis police officer who was fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence call was remembered Thursday during her funeral as a dedicated, compassionate officer and a devoted young mother, with a police chaplain calling her “a beautiful flower that was picked way too soon.” Numerous speakers, including Gov. Eric Holcomb, spoke during the service for […]
Homeless shelters are running out of money, supplies and staff. For years, the Harbor House shelter had a routine for feeding and sheltering the hundreds of homeless people in Thousand Oaks, California, many of them elderly. Each evening, one of a dozen local churches, temples and mosques would host a dinner, and afterward, lay out […]
POPAI Vision: To champion probation as a vital part of the criminal justice system. POPAI Mission: To promote, support, and grow the profession of probation in Indiana by collaborating with criminal justice partners, advancing and protecting the interests of our membership, and providing education and professional development opportunities in the use of evidence-based community supervision […]
In the effort to release people from jails to stem coronavirus outbreaks behind bars, those jailed for probation and parole violations have been an obvious choice. They’re locked up not for committing new crimes but for breaking the rules of their supervision, like drinking alcohol, traveling without permission, or missing appointments. In New York alone, Governor Andrew Cuomo last […]
An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer was shot and killed and a female was injured Thursday afternoon on the east side of Indianapolis, according to IMPD. The incident happened around 3 p.m. in the 1800 block of Edinburge Square, near 21st and Franklin. Officers were called to the apartment for a domestic incident, IMPD Assistant […]
The move to share the home addresses of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus is meant to protect police and emergency workers, but some say the disclosures could give them a false sense of security. State and local governments are beginning to share the addresses of people who test positive for Covid-19 with […]
Recent days have seen spending reductions and downbeat revenue forecasts. The mark the coronavirus is leaving on state budgets became more apparent in recent days, as governors took action to reduce spending and gloomy new revenue estimates emerged. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday said his state is now expecting a revenue shortfall of about […]
Indiana Supreme Court justices have denied a petition from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana inviting the high court to engage in emergency rule making to facilitate the release of Hoosier inmates at risk for contracting COVID-19. The petition, filed March 30 by ACLU of Indiana legal director Ken Falk and attorneys Stevie Pactor […]
The APPA Technology Committee created two new issue papers on topics vital to the world of probation and parole, particularly how we supervise our clients. View the full issue papers here: Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision Body Worn Cameras in Community Supervision
Before he was incarcerated inside the Miami Correctional Facility, an inmate named Wesley worked construction and he’s putting those skills to use in the battle against the COVID-19 virus that is raging outside Indiana prison walls. “This I been over here for fourteen months so I got all the sewing experience that’s needed for it […]
Some people in Louisville are being diagnosed with COVID-19 and then refusing to stay home, defying orders from doctors, city and state leaders. Now, judges are issuing court orders in an attempt to hold them legally liable. Court documents obtained by WHAS11 FOCUS investigative team reveal Jefferson County citizens are being court ordered to stay […]
State leaders from all three branches of government say local criminal justice officials should decide how to handle inmates in county jails during the COVID-19 crisis. Gov. Eric Holcomb, Chief Justice Loretta Rush, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) and House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) released a joint letter to local officials Friday. That letter acknowledges […]
Before the spreading coronavirus became a pandemic, Emma went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting every week in the Boston area and to another support group at her methadone clinic. She says she felt safe, secure and never judged. “No one is thinking, ‘Oh my God, she did that?’ ” says Emma, “’cause they’ve been there.” […]
What evidence do we have that our post-incarceration programs are working to their fullest? There are so many difficulties facing those returning to their communities that continued review of best practices is essential. Our latest issue takes an in-depth look at the links between Evidence-Based Practices and reentry to better understand how we can serve […]
As the lives of community corrections professionals have been upended by the threat of coronavirus, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) has received numerous requests for online training resources that officers may access while working from home. First, we’re proud to announce that beginning in late April, APPA will host a series of brand-new […]
In response to the rapidly evolving events surrounding COVID-19, APPA will regularly share our resources, updates from the CDC and WHO, as well as material specific to our industry. We will overcome this challenging situation through continued education and collaboration with our members, colleagues, and friends. “Hope is important because it can make the present […]
Wed, Apr 8, 2020 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to grow, more and more community corrections professionals have concerns about how this is currently impacting their work and questions about how it will shape their future. To address those concerns, APPA will host a virtual roundtable facilitated by Dr. […]
On this page, the Justice Lab will gather and share examples of measures that probation and parole agencies are taking to slow down the COVID-19 pandemic. This page is designed as a growing resource for executives actively managing the crisis. Read the Statement from community supervision executives on the importance of using best practices during […]
The 2020 legislative session ended on Wednesday, March 11th. A final list of bills that passed which may be interest to our membership is posted on the Legislation page. Included is a brief summary of the bill and links to the full text.
“Disruptive innovation, a term coined by Clayton Christensen, describes a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors.” The worlds of addiction treatment and recovery mutual aid are on the brink of being radically […]
Lauren Lee White (text) and Joseph Rodriguez (photos)
Working for the county probation department, the largest in the nation, means being equal parts social worker and law enforcement On a Tuesday morning in October, Los Angeles deputy probation officer Booker Waugh made his way down a nearly sheer hillside, just a few feet from the entrance to the 10 freeway heading east. Waugh, […]
Some say that well over 200 years ago, Sir William Curtis coined the phrase “the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic,” which are the basic skills that should be taught in schools. To this day, I can still hear my grandmother talking about the importance of reading, writing and arithmetic. It has been said that […]
Updated 9:50 a.m. Friday, March 20 Go to the original article for the latest The Indiana Supreme Court has approved nearly three-quarters of Indiana trial court petitions to operate under emergency plans in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. About 70 of the state’s 92 counties have been approved to curtail operations per […]
Editor’s note: This story is being regularly updated with the latest law-related responses to COVID-19. POPAI Note: This article was captured on 3/13/2020 and will not be updated. Please see the original article for most up to date edits. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office is encouraging its employees to telework beginning Friday in response to […]
The Trump Administration Friday released a new tool to assist rural community leaders in building an effective local response to drug addiction. The Rural Community Action Guide is another tool from the administration to help local leaders address drug addiction in their community. Anne Hazlett, Senior Adviser for Rural Affairs in the White House Office […]
Applicants for the Knepple Scholarship should act quickly and apply on or before 12:00 noon EST on Monday, March 23, 2020 Download the application that contains Full Information including qualifications (updated 2/15/2020) Questions? Contact Bob Schuster, Chair of Awards and Recognition Committee at 219-326-6808 Ext. 2511 or your POPAI District Representative.
ASHLAND, La. (AP) — A Louisiana woman was arrested on drug charges after police determined the $5,000 cash she used to post an inmate’s bail had a “strong odor of marijuana.” Authorities began investigating Stormy Lynn Parfait, 33, on Friday, shortly after she showed up at the Ashland jail to pay the bond fee for […]
INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) — The Indiana Department of Correction has suspended visitations at all of its facilities around the state due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The department said Wednesday that visitations would be suspended beginning Thursday and last “at least two weeks.” The DOC said the decision to suspend visitations was “precautionary,” and made […]
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Vanderburgh County Council was handed jail expansion alternatives about four months ago, and it’s time for the council to act, County Commissioners President Jeff Hatfield said. Hatfield delivered a letter to councilors Friday saying the county must address its “critically overcrowded” jail. The jail on Harlan Avenue operates above capacity, with […]
Overdose deaths have increased across the country over the last couple of years, but Hancock County in Indiana is choosing to combat the problem in a new, and controversial, way. In an article in the Indy Star, they lay out the size of the problem in Hancock County: “According to Indiana State Department of Health […]
Hiring Hoosiers is an initiative from RTV6 that works to connect Hoosiers to employment opportunities, career development resources, training programs and educational paths. Learn more about Hiring Hoosiers and see new stories weekdays at 6 a.m. on RTV6. HAMILTON COUNTY — A criminal record can impact someone’s ability to find a job, which can […]
Related: Indiana confirms first case of coronavirus Indiana State Health Commissioner Kris Box has this message for Hoosiers worried about the prospect of an outbreak of the novel coronavirus: The state has been taking the necessary steps to prepare for this eventuality, using a blueprint drawn up for the prospect of a pandemic such as […]
When judges impose sentences, they consider the crimes, and how likely the offenders are to offend again. Lori Dumas has been a judge in family, and criminal courts in Philadelphia for more than a decade. She said she knows people end up in front of her because they did something. But she also considers that a […]
LEBANON, Ind. – Boone County is now administering suboxone to inmates to help control their cravings for opioids, a first of its kind addiction treatment program in a Hoosier jail. At least two inmates are now taking the narcotic. The goal is to get people on a treatment plan while they are behind bars so […]
Dr. Darla Hinshaw walks up to the podium in the Indiana Senate chamber. She’s there to tell lawmakers about the children she treats as a psychiatrist and the issue standing between kids and effective treatment. She tells a story of a foster care teenager who was admitted into a facility on a Friday. “He continued […]
The intensity of feelings generated by friendship in childhood and adolescence is by design. Early in 2010, the year we moved to Hong Kong, our three boys were 11, eight, and six. When we sat them down to tell them we’d be moving there for a few years, we tried to sell it as a […]
CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Drug abuse continues to leave a tragic trail. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70,237 people died from drug overdoses in 2017 alone. Drug abuse is also expensive, The Council of Economic Advisors estimates the cost of the opioid crisis in 2018 cost $696 billion in the value of […]
Many people in the throes of opioid addiction are struggling to live another day without facing the pain of withdrawal. Their top priority is finding another fix, which often means sacrificing their health and safety. That’s why Baton Rouge officials are bringing addiction services where they’re needed most. Local leaders hosted an open house Monday […]
(CNN)If overdose deaths don’t slow down in Franklin County, Ohio, a temporary morgue may be needed to store the bodies. The county has seen 23 overdose deaths from January 31 to February 7, Dr. Anahi Ortiz, the county’s coroner, said in a statement on her Facebook page. The next day, the county had five more. […]
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump campaigned on ending the opioid crisis in the United States. He highlighted stories of those affected in his State of the Union addresses. The first lady has made visits to neonatal clinics treating addiction recovering babies a key part of her time at the White House. And according to new federal […]
Although Rachel Martin would never deny she had a drinking problem, she figured years would pass before it would take a toll on her health. After all, she had not yet hit 40 and she had managed to eke out two years of complete sobriety about a decade ago. Even when she was drinking, she […]
The basic concept of indigency is well-understood in the law. A low-income defendant who can’t afford a lawyer will be appointed one, and their court fees also may be waived. But across Indiana, lawyers say judges in different counties often take different approaches to making an indigency determination. That’s led to what some call “justice […]
Submit your application to be considered for the 2020 Donald “Charley” Knepple Scholarship Award. The winner will be announced at the 2020 Annual Indiana Probation Officers Conference in April. The qualified candidate chosen for the Scholarship Award will be awarded $2,500.00 to help pay for their costs in continuing his or her education pursuing a […]
The number of homeless students in the US is the highest in more than a decade according to a new study. Most of the 1.5m homeless children stayed with other families or friends after losing their homes. But 7% lived in abandoned buildings or cars, the report by the National Centre for Homeless Education showed. […]
A Republican state senator has dropped a proposal attacking what he called “social justice prosecution” by empowering Indiana’s attorney general to appoint special prosecutors to take over criminal cases that local authorities decide they won’t pursue. The proposal followed Democratic Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears’ new policy of not pressing charges for possessing small amounts of marijuana. […]
Companies say helping employees access quality child care is ‘just good business.’ Access to quality, affordable child care is a widespread problem across the country and in the state of Indiana, where it affects parents and children across the socioeconomic spectrum in all 92 counties. But, in addition to the challenges Indiana families have accessing care, […]
Bartholomew County and Columbus law enforcement, including school resource officers, invited local junior high and high school students to get to know them on the ice of Hamilton Center. The officers skated with 121 youth from area schools and enjoyed food and refreshments. There were also prize giveaways during the event. The two-hour event, sponsored […]
The purpose of this article is to review systems-level factors that impact implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in corrections which are often less understood in the research. I provide a brief overview of the National Implementation Research Network’s (NIRN’s) core implementation components I use as my framework for this discussion, and then go through two […]
(Opinion) In September, the FDA stepped in to limit abuse of Imodium and other anti-diarrhea drugs. Apparently it’s a growing problem. This lends itself to way more questions than answers, a friend of mine wrote on Facebook the other day above a weird photo. It showed three boxes of Imodium A-D — that trusted anti-diarrhea […]
NEW YORK — By 8 a.m., the line already snaked all the way around the side of the South Bronx probation office, and more people were arriving, dragging metal shopping carts ready to receive canned vegetables, Thanksgiving turkeys, cat food, and boxed mac-and-cheese. The eager, polyglot crowd, most of whom are not under court supervision, […]
The Indiana Supreme Court will consider this week whether to grant transfer to a wrong-way-driver case focused on a post-accident blood draw. Arguments on petition to transfer will be heard at 9 a.m. Thursday in State of Indiana v. Wesley Ryder, 18A-CR-02325. In that case, Wesley Ryder was charged with several felonies after he allegedly […]
A probation officer fell ill while frisking a probationer Tuesday, prompting a hazardous materials alert at the agency’s offices in Westminster. The probation officer was searching the probationer and his items in the department’s offices at 14180 Beach Blvd. about 2:45 p.m. when the officer fell ill, said Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriff’s […]
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — State lawmakers are continuing to push a proposal that would allow undocumented immigrants in Indiana to legally drive. It is an idea that has been introduced seven times, but the bill has never received a hearing. Yet, some representatives believe it is an important issue to take on. During her first term, […]
At the Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia, inmates who previously served in the military can choose to join a veterans-only housing unit that offers structure and tailored programming. Filling out intake paperwork at the Gwinnett County Jail, Dylan Antoine marked “yes” on a form that asked if he had served in the military. Weeks later, […]
March 12 and 13, 2020 at the Drury Plaza Hotel, Indianapolis. The Probation Management Institute is designed to provide supervisory level staff with ongoing training opportunities in topics related to managing your department. This year, the POPAI Chief’s Executive Committee has chosen to focus on a variety of topics including : • Community Correction Grant […]
Lawyers in southwest Indiana who would like to be considered for appointment to the Vanderburgh Superior Court bench have a few weeks remaining to make their interest known to Gov. Eric Holcomb, who will select the successor for a longtime jurist. Holcomb announced last week that applications will be accepted through Feb. 12 from qualified candidates seeking […]
When he was 20 years old, Crown Point resident Ricky “Ricochet” Chandler broke his pelvic bone into nine pieces. He was prescribed opioids to help with the pain. But, to avoid the negative side effects of opioids, Chandler said he decided to take cannabidiol-based products instead. “CBD helped me get off opioids and it saved […]
An order that a juvenile delinquent be committed to the Indiana Department of Corrections until his 18th birthday has been remanded for correction after the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded the trial court abused its discretion in ordering the determinate commitment. Juvenile F.H.’s troubles began in May 2018 when he was alleged at age 14 […]
Shane MacLeod spent 14 years in federal prison for armed robbery and he’s covered from head-to-toe in tattoos. The only things not covered are his butt cheeks and the tops of his feet. Inmates often tattoo one another with makeshift tools. Some get gang-related tattoos, which they consider a matter of survival. Others, such as […]
A Senate committee took hours of contentious testimony on a measure that would lower the age at which children are sent to the Department of Correction. Major portions of the bill were entirely removed, on the fly, moments before a final vote was taken. Provisions that remain expand the list of crimes that could send a delinquent […]
New rules for bonding out of jail are in effect under Criminal Rule 26. The Indiana Supreme Court signed CR 26 into law to take effect in all courts Jan. 1, 2020, after two years of pilot programs in 11 counties. The rule is intended to improve pretrial practices in the state by encouraging trial […]
A felon convicted on two gun charges and sentenced to an upper-range prison term received token relief from the Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday, but he still is ordered to serve more than 10 years behind bars.
ANDERSON, Ind. (WTHR) — Police in Madison County are searching for a DCS caseworker indicted by a grand jury. It found Spencer Day Osborn should have never returned a 4-year-old boy to his mother. He’s now facing felony neglect of a dependent charges. Osborn had his initial hearing Wednesday afternoon. Osborn’s attorney Philip Sheward responded […]
A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials say. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017, but […]
The Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab will soon be analyzing drug evidence for the Indiana State Police — the first contract with an out-of-state agency and one that may dramatically increase the lab’s caseload and benefit its bottom line. The contract approved by Montgomery County Commissioners on Tuesday calls for the lab to conduct solid-dose […]
When the opioid problem hit rural Indiana it appeared that it would have a limited impact on Daviess County. The hit was nothing like the scourge that methamphetamine produced when it rolled into southwestern Indiana in the 1990s. Still, officials say the opioid problem did have an impact. “About two or three years ago we […]
Today, our 2020 Bills to Follow page went live. You’ll find a list of bills that have been identified as interesting to follow by the POPAI Board. Members will no longer need to log in to view this information. It is now conveniently available to you with a single click from the far right side […]
“No one is embarrassed to call 911 for a fire or an emergency,” said the CEO of a suicide-prevention nonprofit. “No one should be embarrassed to call 988 for a mental health emergency.” Federal regulators are setting up a new three-digit number to reach a suicide prevention hotline in order to make it easier to […]
New data released by Uber showing almost 6,000 sexual assaults in last two years is prompting some officials to call for new requirements on ride-hailing companies to improve safety. Stories of people assaulted in ride-hailing vehicles have made frequent headlines in recent years, prompting calls from policymakers for companies to release data on the number of riders […]
He still has the last name of a woman who adopted him in grade school — then gave him back. From the time he was 3 until he turned 14, Dominic Williamson was bounced to 80 different foster homes. When he turned 18, he found himself alone and homeless, and resorting to a life of […]
INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – Recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan, with Illinois to follow January 1. That brings the number of states allowing recreational use to 11, with 33 states allowing for medical marijuana. Indiana is among the 16 states where marijuana use remains illegal in any form. But State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) thinks […]
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush issued a call to arms for everyone involved in the state’s justice system in her annual State of the Judiciary Address Wednesday. Rush hailed much of the work that’s already been done in Indiana – from problem-solving courts to improved court technology to pretrial and criminal justice reform. But she […]
The Bloomington Housing Authority is looking for contractors to help complete a $7 million renovation project for more than 100 public housing units. Over the course of 18 months, 116 units in the Rev. E.D. Butler and Walnut Woods complexes will be renovated. Rhonda Moore, capital assets manager for the Bloomington Housing Authority, said the […]
NEW ALBANY — The day in Floyd County Circuit Court started off like any of the other annual swearing-in ceremonies for the county’s probation officers. More than a dozen officials renewed their oaths before judges Terrence Cody, James Hancock, Maria Granger and Magistrate Julie Fessel Flanigan on Monday. But at the end of the proceedings, […]
A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials said. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017 but […]
Whitney Randolph goes into work every day knowing her job is coming to an end in a few months. Her Franklin County courtroom office has expansive windows that overlook the city. “Technically, it’s my department that’s going,” Randolph says with a laugh. “If you choose to stay and reapply for the new positions, you know […]
Reduced smoking rates, not much violent crime and low reports of sexually transmitted diseases make Vermont the healthiest state in the country, according to rankings released this week. Vermont is the healthiest state in the country thanks to decreased rates of smoking and mental distress, along with low incidences of violent crime and certain sexually […]
LAGRANGE — Indiana State Supreme Court Justice Steven David returned to LaGrange County Monday, a guest of JDAI program director Randy Merrifield. David came to speak with local students in programs supported by the JDAI office and meet with local Amish businessmen. David has been to LaGrange County three times in the last two years […]
Ohio imprisons 567 people per 100,000 residents, 15th most in the country, while spending $181 for every resident of the state to do so, a new analysis reveals. The review from HowMuch.net found Ohio spends less on a per capita basis than other nearby states, even as the number of people in prison in the state is higher than […]
Robert Alexander has been away from home for more than a decade. His days and nights are spent locked up behind walls topped with barbed wire. “Prison kind of gives you that feeling that you’re like on an island,” says Alexander, 39, who is studying for a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies while serving his […]
INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) recently launched a public awareness campaign to educate youths about the dangers of e-cigarettes, or “vaping.” The “Behind the Haze” campaign is part of a $2 million effort announced by Governor Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, to reduce vaping among Indiana youth. […]
La PORTE — In January, La Porte County officials will flip the switch on some significant overhauls to the criminal justice system — changes leaders hope will result in a smaller jail population. At its meeting Monday, the La Porte County Council approved the hiring and training of two new pretrial service officers at the […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — When Democrats pushed through a law last spring that sharply curtailed cash bail for nonviolent defendants, they hailed it as a landmark measure to stop the poor from being jailed before trial simply because they had few resources. Now, as the rules take effect on Jan. 1, a backlash has arisen among […]
A federal judge on Wednesday afternoon ordered a former probation agent to pay seven figures to a Casper woman whom he sexually harassed while she was on probation. The probation agent, Jaret Maul, no longer works for the probation office, which is a part of the Wyoming Department of Corrections. The government agency was never […]
Indiana was awarded $5.2 million to help pregnant and postpartum women with opioid addictions. The grant comes from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. It is part of a collaboration between Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and CMS to combat opioid use in pregnancy. FSSA chief medical officer, Dr. Dan Rusyniak, says […]
Matthew Menendez. Michael Crowley, Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Noah Atchison
Executive Summary The past decade has seen a troubling and well-documented increase in fees and fines imposed on defendants by criminal courts. Today, many states and localities rely on these fees and fines to fund their court systems or even basic government operations. A wealth of evidence has already shown that this system works against […]
EVANSVILLE, Ind. –- Vanderburgh County government officials face a list of difficult questions this week as they dive back into jail expansion discussions. How many more jail beds does the county need? How many might be required in 10 years, 20 years? What can taxpayers reasonably afford? Could temporary structures become part of the solution? […]
A growing number of smaller companies are adopting a four-day workweek. Now the results of a recent trial at Microsoft suggest it could work even for the biggest businesses. The company introduced a program this summer in Japan called the “Work Life Choice Challenge,” which shut down its offices every Friday in August and gave […]
Funding amounting to more than $2.4 million has been granted to agencies in the Southern District of Indiana to help combat drug and crime concerns stemming from the opioid crisis, US Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced Friday. The grant funding is part of national awards of more than $333 million to help communities affected by the […]
William Troutman Jr., 46, got his second chance at a recycling center. He started as a picker on the presort line, then he got his forklift certification. He was recently promoted. He makes $10.50 per hour working the floor where recycled material gets compressed and shipped away. “This place opened the doors when they didn’t […]
The Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council’s report, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Annual Evaluation of Indiana’s Criminal Code Reform December 1, 2019 was posted to their website.
VALPARAISO — Porter County’s innovative pretrial release program is being held up as a potential model for all Indiana counties to follow, especially those with bulging jail populations. On Wednesday, the Indiana Jail Overcrowding Task Force, led by Supreme Court Justice Steven David, visited the Porter County Jail and Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso […]
Email from Katie McCall, CEO 3rd Millennium Classrooms
Did you know that “transient” people are more vulnerable to human trafficking? This includes the homeless, runaway youth, and those transitioning through the foster system. Traffickers often use promises of shelter, food and money as a lure for the homeless or other vulnerable populations into the horrendous world of trafficking. According to Thorn, an anti-trafficking […]
Despite the attention the Statehouse has given to the Indiana Department of Child Services in the past two years – hiring outside consultants to review the agency and passing numerous laws regarding policies and practices within the department – an arrest of a former caseworker on neglect charges is bringing another call for more changes. Spencer Osborn of Anderson […]
Tom Rhodes, who has served as the Monroe County Community Corrections Director for almost 30 of the program’s 37 years of existence, is retiring. Rhodes also has served concurrently as the assistant chief probation officer for the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department. There [was] a retirement reception in courtroom 313 of the Charlotte T. Zietlow […]
Trine student assisting with assessment at Allen County Juvenile Center ANGOLA — Sydney Stephan hopes to one day become an attorney specializing in family and elder matters. She is preparing for that now by seeing how things work on the other side of the law. Stephan, a Trine University freshman from Fort Wayne, is working […]
A new initiative in Howard County designed to stem student truancy is firing on all cylinders, with student referrals from local schools exploding over last year’s totals. Earlier this year the makings of a new initiative began to take shape. Local judges noticed that student truancy referrals from schools were beginning to enter the court […]
LAGRANGE — Indiana State Supreme Court Justice Steven David returned to LaGrange County Monday, a guest of JDAI program director Randy Merrifield. David came to speak with local students in programs supported by the JDAI office and meet with local Amish businessmen. David has been to LaGrange County three times in the last two years […]
ANGOLA — The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative is paying dividends in Steuben County, its coordinator reported to the Steuben County Board of Commissioners on Monday. While speaking before the commissioners, JDAI Coordinator Kathy Armstrong presented statistics showing three categories regarding juvenile detention in Steuben County. The bottom line: There is a downward trend in the […]
The County Jail Overcrowding Task Force was established in 2019 (IC 11-12-6.8) to conduct a statewide review of jail overcrowding and identify common reasons and possible local, regional and statewide solutions. The task force will also study the issue of reducing recidivism for convicted felons in county jails by offering programs that address mental health […]
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” — author Neil Postman The Indiana Youth Institute, with the assistance of a $1.25 million grant from the Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention, is developing programs to assist children impacted by the opioid crisis. The pilot projects, in partnership with […]
The final report for the National Judicial Opioid Task Force was released this week and includes recommendations and resources for courts responding to addiction. The task force was formed in 2017. Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush co-chairs the group and says it was created in response to the growing number of court cases related to substance abuse. […]
State Sen. Darryl Rouson, a Democrat from St. Petersburg, filed a bill which would set a framework for judges to re-sentence inmates who are serving outdated sentences no longer in state law. The problem was highlighted in a Times/Herald investigation published Wednesday. The story showed how Florida’s continued changes to its drug sentencing laws have […]
Can education about bias and institutionalized racism help improve child welfare throughout Indiana? Nonprofit organization Child Advocates, with support from the Central Indiana Community Foundation, is betting that it can. Child Advocates has been leading educational workshops for hundreds of local businesses and community leaders since 2010, but it only recently launched a highly localized version of […]
About 64 Franklin County Juvenile Court probation department employees will be affected next year when their jobs are eliminated and and they have to seek positions with vastly different, more complex responsibilities as part of a plan to transform the way juveniles are supervised. The new Community Restoration Services Department will operate under the idea […]
Carmel Clay Schools passed Indiana’s first school safety referendum, asking voters to approve a new type of property tax increase to pay for improved security measures. Carmel, the first district to test the new tool created by lawmakers earlier this year, was one of 10 school districts around the state asking voters for more money. Six of those districts […]
The Indiana Supreme has created the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records to replace several portions of Administrative Rule 9. In orders handed down Friday, members of the Indiana Supreme Court amended Administrative Rule 9 and its references by striking them from the Indiana Rules of Court. In its place, the high court has created the Indiana […]
CROWN POINT — More than two dozen people packed a small conference room Monday at the Lake County Juvenile Center to begin the process of fine-tuning a tool officials use to decide when children accused of delinquency should be detained. Lake Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak echoed Indiana Supreme Court Justice Steven David when he […]
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and other city officials announced Wednesday afternoon that Evansville was awarded a $1 million federal grant to help youth affected by opioid and substance abuse connect to local services. Winnecke, as well as other speakers, informed the crowd at Youth First Inc. about the grant, which was awarded to […]
Reactions have been mixed to the recent announcement that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will no longer prosecute cases of simple possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana. Then-acting Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the policy change Sept. 30 after what he said was about two years of discussion within the office and with other […]
SOUTH BEND — Children at the Juvenile Justice Center in South Bend could see some big changes in their stays. The JJC is close to settling a lawsuit. That lawsuit centers around an 11-year-old boy. His parents say the JJC frequently kept their son in solitary confinement and offered him no special education or support. […]
As he prepares to begin a 30-day, unpaid suspension, Clark Circuit Judge Bradley Jacobs is publicly apologizing for the first time for a night of drinking that led to him being critically wounded in a downtown Indianapolis shooting. “I have been a fortunate person. I have an amazing wife, three wonderful daughters, a father that […]
The Indiana Office of Court Services will be providing trainings in Indianapolis to kick off 2020! All trainings will take place at our offices, located at 251 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Below is the list of the trainings, including registration links. IOCS will not provide lunch or hotel for these trainings. Case Management: […]
Tim Walz is the Democratic governor of the state of Minnesota. Mike Parson is the Republican governor of the state of Missouri. When we talk about criminal justice reform, we naturally think about the people behind bars. But there’s another population that gets far less attention — one that’s facing a world of challenges which, […]
Melinda McDowell had used drugs since she was a teenager. But she didn’t try methamphetamine until one fateful night in 2017 after her mother died suddenly of a stroke. She went to a neighbor’s house and he had crystal meth. “I tried it and I was hooked from the first hit,” McDowell says. “It was […]
(PENDELTON) – Correctional Industrial Facility (CIF) hosted a tour of their Joni & Friends Wheels for the World wheelchair refurbishment shop. Senior Manager for Domestic Operations Paul Dorthalina was joined by Joni & Friends outreach staff from Chicago, program donors and volunteers, along with correctional staff from Ohio who are interested in starting this program […]
Methamphetamine use appears to be making a comeback as the country continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic. Methamphetamine use appears to be making a comeback as the country continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic. But unlike the period marked a decade ago by hodgepodge labs hidden in rural communities in Indiana and elsewhere, the reemergence appears […]
Human trafficking and domestic violence both desire the same thing: power and control. They can manifest themselves in very similar ways — coercion, manipulation, force. These crimes against humanity affect millions, both women and men, of every race, religion, culture and status. It’s not just punches and black eyes or voluntary work and nights out […]
“Monroe Circuit Court to give new ‘drug court’ a try,” said a June 1999 headline in the Herald-Times. The story described a pilot project that former Monroe Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Todd and then-Prosecutor Carl Salzmann had proposed to the county council that would redirect resources to a court focused on helping the addicted break […]
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (AP) — A 49-year-old Indiana man on probation has been charged with new drug charges including possession of synthetic urine. The Star Press reports Kirk Allen Boughman was charged Friday with felony possession of methamphetamine and three misdemeanors. The Hartford City man was out on probation when authorities conducted a “compliance search” […]
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) is making up to $837,156.00 in FY19 Federal Title II funding available for calendar year 2020 programs. Applications for the FY19 Federal Title II Funds are due by Monday, November 25th 2019. Only Indiana state agencies and units of local government are eligible to apply for Title II program […]
Indiana officials are suspending work requirements for low-income residents who receive their health insurance through Medicaid while a federal lawsuit challenging the plan is sorted out. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration said Thursday it won’t be enforcing rules that require those not qualifying for exemptions to report 20 hours a month of work or related […]
INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Marion County is now using technology to help streamline the check-ins some criminal offenders on parole. New kiosks have been installed at the City County building downtown. The kiosks allow some offenders on probation to check in instead of meeting directly with a probation officers. The kiosks only work with low-level offenders […]
Purpose The County Jail Overcrowding Task Force was established in 2019 (IC 11-12-6.8) to conduct a statewide review of jail overcrowding and identify common reasons and possible local, regional and statewide solutions. The task force will also study the issue of reducing recidivism for convicted felons in county jails by offering programs that address mental […]
The nation’s three dominant drug distributors and a big drugmaker have reached a tentative deal to settle a lawsuit related to the opioid crisis just as the first federal trial over the crisis was due to begin Monday in Cleveland, according to a lead lawyer for the local governments suing the drug industry. The tentative […]
WESTVILLE – The La Porte Circuit Court’s annual Juvenile Symposium dealt with some of the most sensitive topics in law enforcement today: race, equity and inclusion. On Saturday, more than 160 stakeholders took part in the symposium at Purdue University Northwest’s Westville campus. The purpose was to “provide a venue whereby participants from varying disciplines […]
With 23 million Americans recovering from addiction and 20 million still seeking treatment, Google decided to use its power to help out, resulting in its new Recovery Resource Hub Only 10% of people who struggle with addiction receive treatment, according to the Addiction Center. Sometimes it can be difficult for those wanting help to find it, […]
Perhaps as a reflection of his time in the U.S. Air Force, Cass Superior Judge Richard Maughmer ran his court in a no-nonsense manner, and lawyers practicing before him knew they had better be on time, be prepared and follow the rules. “I respected him dearly,” said Yamir Gonzalez Velez, president of the Cass County […]
Nick Philbeck has witnessed repeatedly how the anger crime victims can feel will melt when they sit across the table and see the offender is a 15-year-old kid. Since 2004, Philbeck has worked at the Community Justice & Mediation Center in Bloomington, where he has mediated in the restorative justice program. Now as the restorative […]
One of two men accused of confronting three southern Indiana judges, leading to a brawl in which two of the jurists were shot, has agreed to plead guilty, according to court records.
Steve Malone, Problem Solving Court Director, Monroe Circuit Court
MONROE COUNTY DRUG TREATMENT COURT 20 Year Anniversary Celebration Public Welcome! WHAT: Monroe County Drug Treatment Court 20-year Year Anniversary Celebration. WHEN: Wednesday November 6, 2019. Two events open to public: Drug Court session beginning at 7:30 a.m. followed by Recognition Ceremony and Open House beginning at 9:00 a.m. WHERE: Drug Court Session, Nat U. […]
A common vocabulary can be an essential ingredient to creating the kind of respect, diversity and inclusiveness that many employers say they aspire to create. Here are some steps that advocates, therapists and human resources experts say can help you be a good colleague. Do your own research. It’s OK to have questions, but rather than […]
Three judges involved in a May shooting in downtown Indianapolis are each now facing multiple judicial discipline charges. Clark Circuit Judges Andrew Adams and Bradley Jacobs and Crawford Circuit Judge Sabrina Bell each have been charged with violations of Rules 1.2 and 3.1(C) of the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct for their roles in a […]
The Jail Overcrowding Task Force is studying jail overcrowding in Indiana, including common reasons, possible solutions, and reducing recidivism for jail population through evidence-based services and treatment. See more information on the Task Force, submitting public comment, and registering to testify. The Task Force has Minutes and other materials on their website HERE. Jail Overcrowding Task […]
The third 2019 meeting of the Corrections and Criminal Code Committee was held on Tuesday Oct 8, 2019. AGENDA MINUTES Preliminary Drafts of Bills PD 3130 Indigency Determinations PD 3133 Bail PD 3132 Look-Back Periods There was a discussion of the Jail Overcrowding Task Force. The Task Force has Minutes and other materials on their […]
A case that split the Indiana Supreme Court last December over a criminal defendant’s mental capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions dovetails into a larger question looming before the U.S. Supreme Court — whether states have to provide laws that allow for an insanity defense. Cases raising the issue of how much evidence […]
Vape pens are easy to conceal, they’re easy to confuse with other electronic gadgets like USB flash drives, and they generally don’t leave lingering smells on clothes. All these things make them appealing to underage users, and confounding to parents. Gone are the days when sniffing a teenager’s jacket or gym bag counted as passive […]
IU is working with the Monroe County Circuit Court Probation Department to decrease the number of people sent to jail over probation violations as part of a nationwide study conducted to reduce mass incarceration. When people are on probation, if they break any of the rules, such as not showing up for appointments, they are […]
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday asked the Indiana General Assembly for guidance as it sharply divided over whether minor felonies reduced to misdemeanor convictions should trigger new five-year waiting periods for people seeking to expunge their criminal records. The majority ruled they should, a result the dissenting judge called “unjust and ill-advised.” The […]
Across Indiana, 44 local jails are currently at capacity. But if half of all pretrial detainees were released, that number would fall to 11. State Rep. Greg Steuerwald presented that statistic Friday during the opening session of the Indiana Pretrial Summit. Interdisciplinary teams from all 92 counties gathered in Indianapolis to learn about pretrial best […]
CJ Miller, District 5 was re-elected as Treasurer Melanie Pitstick, Marion County was re-elected as District Five Representative Due to not receiving any nominations for Districts 1 and 3, the Board filled the vacancies. Robert Schuster (District 1) Sarah Lochner (District 3) were nominated by the Board and accepted the positions/terms. The full Board Member […]
The Indiana Office of Court Services is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for the 2020 Justice Services Conference. The conference will be held on April 27-29, 2020 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 […]
A week after he became acting Marion County prosecutor, Ryan Mears announced the office will no longer be prosecuting defendants accused of possessing 30 grams or less of marijuana. “Too often, an arrest for marijuana possession puts individuals into the system who otherwise would not be,” Mears said at a press conference Sept. 30 announcing […]
The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications is investigating the May 1 shooting that left two Clark County judges wounded and one convicted of misdemeanor battery, the Indiana Supreme Court confirmed Wednesday. A court spokeswoman said the JQC is investigating the shooting outside of a downtown Indianapolis White Castle that put Clark County Judges Andrew Adams […]
To the Bench, Bar and Public: The Board of Directors of the Indiana Judicial Conference is seeking public comment on proposed new rules for the certification of pretrial services. The proposed rules include: Procedures for certification through the Indiana Office of Court Services The creation of a multidisciplinary pretrial policy team Pretrial services staff requirements […]
The Midwest Gang Investigators Association Indiana Chapter invites you to attend: 2019 Gang Trends & Updates November 6th, 2019 In conjunction with the Indiana State Police (ISP), Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC), and the Indianapolis Metro Police Department (IMPD). LOCATION: Monroe Convention Center ADDRESS: 302 South College Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47403 8-hours of ILEA training […]
Judge Peter Swann (from left), Judge Paul McMurdie and Judge Lawrence Winthrop hear arguments in Hiskett v. Hon. Lambert/State at the Arizona Court of Appeals in Phoenix on Aug. 22, 2019. (Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/The Republic) A state law allowing the electronic monitoring of people accused of sex offenses does not give counties the authority to force defendants […]
New York, New York – Today, Arnold Ventures and the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) announced the selection of 10 jurisdictions to participate in the Reducing Revocations Challenge, a national initiative dedicated to transforming probation supervision and reducing the number of unnecessary failures. The Challenge was launched in response to the growing […]
Indiana’s top judge says nothing in her lifetime has hit society and the courts as hard as the festering opioid epidemic that has swept the nation. “This opioid crisis caught us all sort of flat-footed. We saw the addiction wave coming and we have not been good at addressing it.” That was Indiana Supreme Court […]
In celebration of the 2019 Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week, the Monroe Circuit Court probation department staff completed a service project for veterans. The department collected donations to provide gift bags to local veterans in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs Bloomington Community-Based Outpatient Clinic and the VA’s Bloomington Mental Health Clinic. The […]
The man who fired 15 times at his probation officers inside his Billings home in 2018 was given the maximum prison term Tuesday. Michael Jeffrey Anderson, 62, was sentenced to 40 years in the Montana State Prison, as prosecutors had sought. Yellowstone County District Judge Donald Harris also imposed a 20-year parole restriction. Defense attorney […]
POPAI and IACCAC leadership made a joint presentation at the Interim Study Committee on Corrections and Criminal Code on September 18, 2019. The topic was concerning trends in community supervision. We were able to show the increase in community corrections population from July 2015 to September 2019. […]
It was a rewarding night’s work for two Washington probation officers when they saved a woman’s life while conducting a routine home check. WOODLAND, Washington — The Washington State Department of Corrections is commending two community corrections officers who helped save a woman’s life. It happened in Woodland during a routine home check. “Some days […]
On Friday, September 6, 2019 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Troy Hatfield, Deputy Chief Probation Officer of the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department and vice president of POPAI, was awarded the “Founder’s Award”. The “Founder’s Award” is a way of recognizing individuals who have significantly contributed to the […]
On Thursday, September 5, 2019 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Lindsay Long, a probation officer with Miami County Probation, was presented the Line Probation Officer of the Year Award. The Line Probation Officer of the Year Award was established in 2014 to recognize line probation officers who have […]
POPAI provides a scholarship in memory of probation officer Donald “Charley” Knepple. Charley lost his life on April 28, 1997, while performing his probation officer duties in Allen County, Indiana. In an effort to honor an outstanding professional and to promote further professionalism, POPAI selected a scholarship that would encourage continued education and advanced degrees […]
A recent study shows state Supreme Courts across the country lack gender and racial diversity – and Indiana is no exception. All but three of the 110 justices in Hoosier State history have been white men. Indiana Public Broadcasting Statehouse reporter Brandon Smith talks with Chief Justice Loretta Rush – the state’s first female chief […]
Conference Theme: “Stages of Change” The 2019 IACCAC Fall Training Institute will be held on November 20-22, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, located at One South Capitol, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. (Intensive sessions begin on November 19, 2019). The 2019 IACCAC Fall Training Institute will feature… Wednesday – Keynote: Dialogue and Collective Leadership: Co-Creating Cultural […]
Remember those old “wanted” posters on TV Westerns? They offered rewards for handing over a person to law enforcement. In more recent times, rewards are less about bounty hunting and more about persuading people to provide information that can help solve a crime. It’s an attempt to use money to overcome fear and apathy, and […]
LANSING – An all-white jury in Genesee County awarded $11.4 million Monday to two black Corrections Department workers in a case alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. The jury found that Lisa Griffey, a probation officer, was discriminated against and harassed because she is black. The jury found that her husband, Cedric Griffey, was retaliated against until […]
(CNN) A sixth person in the United States has died from lung disease related to vaping, Kansas health officials said Tuesday. The woman was older than 50 and had a history of health problems. She became seriously ill shortly after she started using e-cigarettes and her symptoms progressed rapidly. It’s not clear what type of […]
KINGMAN, Ariz. — An Arizona appeals court has ruled a defendant whose trial is pending cannot be forced to either pay hefty fees for GPS monitoring or wait in jail. The ACLU of Arizona challenged before the Arizona Court of Appeals the case of a man who was released while awaiting trial, couldn’t afford to pay hundreds […]
Overview Recent research from The Pew Charitable Trusts found that about 4.5 million people in the United States are on community supervision as of 2016. Probation and parole provide a measure of accountability while allowing those who would otherwise have been incarcerated or have already served a term behind bars to meet their obligations to […]
The alcohol Breathalyzer came to life slowly, over the course of decades. From the 1930s through the 1960s, scientists, lawmakers, police and the public quarreled over the veracity of the numbers spit out by the device, the appropriate legal limit for drivers and whether they could trust a machine over a cop’s testimony. Today, the same […]
Meth – this is the drug the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse says needs more attention. The commission met Thursday to discuss the emerging drug, in a shift that comes after years of statewide focus on the opioid epidemic. A recent preliminary Centers for Disease Control report shows promising signs that the opioid epidemic may be […]
Overview Incarceration has long dominated the national conversation on criminal justice, because the U.S. prison population skyrocketed between the 1980s and late 2000s. Starting in 2007, policymakers seeking to protect public safety, improve accountability, and save taxpayer dollars initiated a wave of bipartisan reforms that has reduced the number of people behind bars in many […]
Federal health officials proposed Thursday to revamp stringent patient confidentiality regulations from the 1970s to encourage coordination among medical professionals treating people caught in the nation’s opioid epidemic. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the goal is to make it easier to share a patient’s drug treatment history with doctors treating that person […]
In upholding a decades-old rule recently codified through a legislative amendment, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled in companion cases that trial courts can only modify a sentence entered as part of a fixed-plea agreement if the modified sentence would not have violated the plea agreement at the time the sentence was originally imposed. The […]
A juvenile court’s rulings in a murder case implicating a 15-year-old boy who had gone to the police station to answer questions after he had been treated for stab wounds were upheld Monday by the Indiana Court of Appeals. The panel affirmed the Lake Superior Court’s finding that there was probable cause to find O.E.W. […]
The Kosciusko County Probation Department will get a new officer in 2020 after Judge David Cates further explained Thursday to the county council how Criminal Rule 26 will affect the county. During a budget hearing Monday, he asked the council to reconsider their decision to not approve any additional probation officers for 2020 because of […]
“Timing is everything,” CNN host and author Van Jones told a room full of law enforcement officials, gathered in San Francisco on Monday for the announcement of a new initiative that hopes to drastically shrink the number of Americans under the supervision of probation or parole. In recent years, the number of people on adult parole […]
On the side of a building just outside the county jail in Des Moines, Iowa, there is a drive-thru window. But it is not dishing out burgers and fries. The main item on its menu is freedom, and it can come at a steep price. “Get your bail bond here. Don’t wait at jail,” reads […]
Probation and parole were invented in the 19th century as alternatives to prison. Today, however, they too often function as traps that keep people entangled with the criminal justice system, sending them back behind bars for mere technical violations like missing an appointment with a probation officer or failing a drug test, and contributing to […]
Effort aims to get low-level offenders out of jail faster GOSHEN — People facing lower-level criminal charges who pose little risk to re-offend may get out of jail quicker under new rules that go into effect next year. The state guideline, called Criminal Rule 26, was piloted in 11 counties after the Indiana Supreme Court […]
POPAI’s own Susan Rice takes the Oath of Office as the newly elected Vice President of the American Probation and Parole Association in San Francisco. Election Results The American Probation and Parole Association is pleased to announce the election of new officers and members of its Board of Directors. The newly elected officers are Brian Lovins, […]
Jason was hallucinating. He was withdrawing from drugs at an addiction treatment center near Indianapolis, and he had hardly slept for several days. “He was reaching for things, and he was talking to Bill Gates and he was talking to somebody else I’m just certain he hasn’t met,” his mother, Cheryl, says. She remembers finding […]
ELKHART, Ind. (WNDU) – Officials in Elkhart announced an innovative rehabilitation program on Friday to help juvenile offenders get back on their feet. “Working together is the only way we are going to solve juvenile delinquency,” Elkhart Juvenile Court Magistrate Deborah Domine said. It’s a nationwide problem that officials are trying to solve locally in Elkhart. […]
Loretta Rush will continue to serve as Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court for another five years.The state’s Judicial Nominating Commission officially reappointed her Wednesday. Rush’s reappointment as chief justice was a foregone conclusion as the commission formally met with each member of the five-person court. The other justices talked about challenges the court […]
In the criminal justice world, indigency is a binary question: you either are, or you aren’t. But the reality is often not so black and white — just because you’re not indigent doesn’t mean you’re not hurting for money. In the gap between people of means and people in poverty, the criminal justice system can […]
Tommy Rieman is a decorated Army Veteran, Silver Star Recipient, AND a member of the first graduating class of a Veteran’s Treatment Court in North Carolina. Tommy served 15 years in the US Army as an infantryman and was deployed three times. His favorite job in the Army was his time on a LRS (Long […]
The first time Lori Tipton tried MDMA, she was skeptical it would make a difference. “I really was, at the beginning, very nervous,” Tipton remembers. MDMA is the main ingredient in club drugs ecstasy or molly. But Tipton wasn’t taking pills sold on the street to get high at a party. She was trying to […]
Electronic filing is available in each of Indiana’s 92 counties now that Sullivan County rolled out voluntary e-filing this month. Sullivan Circuit and Superior Courts were the last to make the e-filing transition across Indiana’s 92 counties, implementing voluntary e-filing Friday and concluding the statewide rollout in county courts. E-filing will become mandatory in Sullivan […]
Louis Morano knows what he needs, and he knows where to get it. Morano, 29, has done seven stints in rehab for opioid addiction in the past 15 years. So, he has come to a mobile medical clinic parked on a corner of Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, in the geographical heart of the city’s overdose crisis. […]
The Fall Conference is just around the corner. Remember to register and book your stay since the hotel fills up quickly. Plan to arrive around 11 am on Wednesday September 4th so you can check in and attend the Opening Session and Keynote with Harvey Alston at 1 then find a breakout session. On Thursday […]
The denial of a prisoner’s petition for post-conviction relief has been upheld after the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded the man’s guilty plea that included a habitual criminal offender enhancement was not involuntary. After Alandus James was charged with Class D felony battery on a child, Class D felony strangulation and Class D felony residential […]
In a published dissent to a denial of transfer, two Indiana Supreme Court justices had sharp words for the Department of Child Services and the lower courts that, according to the dissent, did not take advantage of an opportunity to “make things right” for a father and his two children. Majority justices Mark Massa, Geoffrey […]
UPDATE: The Indiana Supreme Court denied transfer of the case on July 25, 2019. The Indiana Court of Appeals opinion (in our favor) was certified on July 29, 2019. Read the Court of Appeals opinion here. On January 22, 2019, POPAI authorized the filing of an Amicus Curiae brief drafted by counsel hired […]
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. (WTHR) — The Bartholomew County Jail has a new plan to battle Indiana’s ongoing problem of drug addiction. They’re advertising for a new position — Jail Addiction Treatment Program Coordinator. That person will work to break a cycle so many communities are dealing with: addiction, arrest, jail, repeat. By late winter, getting locked […]
Considered one of the most dynamic, “high octane” speakers in America, Harvey Alston has been a full-time speaker since 1989. He has spoken to millions of people throughout the United States who have benefited not only from his knowledge, but also from the wisdom that Harvey Alston brings to the finish line. Harvey Alston has […]
This summer and spring have been by all accounts the worst summer and spring for farming in quite a while, and not just here in the county. Corn and soybean farmers across Indiana, Ohio and Illinois suffered delayed planting caused by record-setting spring rains. Hoping for the wet to recede but not vanish, some farmers […]
CROWN POINT — Five boys being held at the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center listened intently Monday as Ivy Tech Community College instructor Alicia Hampton walked them through the basics of welding. “I don’t know what to do,” said one boy, the first to try a welding simulator Hampton brought with her. “I’m going to […]
HOUSTON—A settlement that ensures most misdemeanor defendants are quickly released and don’t languish in jail has been reached in a federal lawsuit over the bail system in Texas’ most populous county, officials announced Friday. The bail system in Harris County, where Houston is located, had been deemed unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal, who […]
I am pleased to announce that Angie Hensley has been appointed to serve as the IOCS Justice Services Deputy Director. Angie has worked at IOCS as a program coordinator within the Justice Services Division since 2011. Her duties have included developing and conducting evidence-based practice trainings for probation officers and problem solving courts; developing distance […]
Methamphetamine, an illegal drug that sends the body into overdrive, is surging through the United States. Federal drug data provided exclusively to NPR show seizures of meth by authorities have spiked, rising 142% between 2017 and 2018. “Seizures indicate increasing trafficking in these drugs,” says John Eadie, public health coordinator for the federal government’s National […]
POPAI’s own Susan Rice has been elected Vice President of the American Probation and Parole Association. The good news was announced in an email: Election Results The American Probation and Parole Association is pleased to announce the election of new officers and members of its Board of Directors. The newly elected officers are Brian Lovins, […]
An Indiana sheriff’s office took a “bite out of crime” Monday when they caught a woman wearing a set of dentures “that clearly were not hers” at her own probation meeting. Earlier that day, someone reported that a woman, identified as Joann Childers, from Jennings County, stole her teeth and accused her of wearing them around. A probation officer who […]
Opioid drug abuse continues to plague the state, particularly with populations who are or have been incarcerated. Nearly 20 percent of people sentenced to state prison or jail report regular opioid use according to the Substance Abuse and Mental health Administration. This is dangerous because people’s tolerance to opioids goes down while they are incarcerated, […]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois’ new governor delivered on a top campaign promise Tuesday by signing legislation legalizing small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, the 11th state to do so and the first to implement a comprehensive statewide cannabis marketplace designed by legislators. Legalization in Illinois also means that nearly 800,000 people with criminal […]
The due date for Fall Awards nominations is August 5, 2019. Remember, if emailing the form and documentation, use cwood@vanderburghgov.org. Full Details
Despite recent changes to the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct meant to aid pro se litigants’ ability to be heard in court, an appellate panel ruled Friday that an inmate’s suit against a judge, a clerk and others was so confusing and repetitive that it was rightly dismissed. The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the […]
BOONE COUNTY, W. Va. (WFLA/CNN) – Police in West Virginia say they’re seeing a dangerous trend in Boone county. Authorities say some drug abusers are using wasp spray as an alternative form of meth and the practice may have contributed to several overdoses. On Friday, stores in Boone County reported selling nearly 30 cans […]
Organizations team up to bring awareness to child sexual abuse in southwest Indiana See original article for video. EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – Several organizations teamed up to bring awareness to the rising issue of child sexual abuse in southwest Indiana. Authorities, survivors, and organizations that work to help victims all listened to each others stories. […]
A convicted robber whose community corrections placement was revoked was denied due process because a court failed to consider his competency after evaluations had been ordered, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled
(Video in original article.) FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Victims of domestic violence often have little more than a piece of paper to protect them from their attackers. But some local agencies — like the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office — are working to change that. Flagler County has been using a GPS ankle monitoring system for […]
A new report said Indiana’s numbers are down more than 35% since 2013. Nationally, that average number is only at 33%. INDIANA, (WLFI) – After years of a constant uphill battle against the opioid epidemic, Indiana is seeing some positive change. New numbers from the American Medical Association show Indiana’s opioid prescription drug rates are going down faster than […]
Across the country, the number of youth who are incarcerated is down. In 2017, 43,580 minors were incarcerated, a 4 percent drop from 2016. Compare those numbers with 2001, when 104,219 juveniles were detained – 58 percent more than in 2017. Juvenile incarceration peaked in 2000, according The Sentencing Project, and has been on a downward decline […]
VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) – Officials in Porter County and 10 other Indiana counties are testing a risk-assessment program to determine whether people who have been arrested should be required to post bail while awaiting trial. Melanie Golumbeck, Porter County’s chief adult probation officer, said Indiana’s pretrial release program that launched in March 2017 evaluates jail […]
AUBURN — DeKalb County has received grant funds totaling $142,579 for the DeKalb County’s Veterans’ Treatment Court and Family Recovery Court programs, the DeKalb County Council heard Monday. Assistant Chief Probation Officer and Veterans’ Court coordinator Ryan Hull announced the grants and outlined how the funds would be used during Monday’s county council meeting. The […]
Hendricks Superior Judge Robert W. Freese has been suspended from judicial office without pay for 45 days after appointing a friend as a trustee of an estate case he was presiding over and failing to take action when the friend did not fulfill his duties, resulting in a “massive theft.” Freese’s judicial suspension will take […]
A mentally disabled man serving a 55-year prison sentence for a murder 17 years ago that he maintains he did not commit is reviving his efforts for post-conviction relief. Andrew Royer has filed a successive PCR petition in the Elkhart Circuit Court, alleging new evidence that he says proves he is actually innocent of the […]
A malware attack on LaPorte County’s system has rendered email sent on or after July 5, 2019 (and continues at the time of the writing of this article) to our Board Member and Chair of Awards and Recognition Committee Bob Schuster unretrievable. Knepple Scholarship Applications returned via email on or after July 5 must be […]
Last week, LaPorte County was the target of a Malware Attack. All email sent since July 5, 2019 to our Board Member and Chair of Awards and Recognition Committee Bob Schuster is unretrievable. Knepple Scholarship Applications returned via email on or after July 5 must be resubmitted to Cherie Wood cwood@vanderburghgov.org. We are extending the […]
In the 1980s, France went through a heroin epidemic in which hundreds of thousands became addicted. Mohamed Mechmache, a community activist, described the scene in the poor banlieuesback then: “To begin with, they would disappear to shoot up. But after a bit we’d see them all over the place, in the stairwells and halls, the […]
VERSAILLES – After Ripley County Circuit Court Judge Ryan King and Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Sharp took their offices in 2015, they successfully pursued a Community Corrections grant from the Indiana Department of Correction. The focus was to come up with alternatives to prison to lessen overcrowding. At the same time, Ripley County Court Services […]
Current and former inmates at the Henry County Jail will proceed as a class in a federal lawsuit broadly alleging overcrowded, unconstitutional and inhumane conditions at the facility in New Castle. Indiana Southern District Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker on Tuesday granted a motion for class certification on behalf of more than 100 current inmates, […]
Nominations are being accepted until August 5, 2019 for three awards presented during our Fall Conference in French Lick. The Founder’s Award is a way of recognizing individuals who have significantly contributed to the field of probation in general, and specifically to the POPAI organization. The recipient need not be a Probation Officer or POPAI […]
The Council of State Governments Justice Center Staff
New data released today by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center reveal the startling extent to which probation and parole violations contribute to states’ high prison admissions and populations, as well as the subsequent cost to taxpayers. The report — Confined and Costly: How Supervision Violations Are Filling Prisons and Burdening Budgets […]
Today, if you’re under 18 and charged with a crime, your case will likely be decided, and punishment meted out, through a legal system designed for minors. But until the beginning of the 20th century, kids under the age of 18 were tried — and jailed or imprisoned — alongside adults. That is, until the […]
A Clark County judge and the two men initially suspected of shooting two judges in May have been charged with felonies related to the shooting. Charges against Clark Circuit Judge Andrew Adams and Indianapolis residents Brandon Kaiser and Alfredo Vazquez were filed Friday. Adams is charged with two counts of felony battery, four counts of misdemeanor battery […]
Illinois is now the 11th state in the United States to legalize the purchase and possession of recreational marijuana. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill Tuesday that allows adults 21 and over in the state to buy and possess small amounts of the drug. Adults will be able to purchase and possess 30 grams […]
Officials from two central Indiana counties are considering the possibility of opening a regional jail that they would share. County council members from Madison and Henry counties are expected to meet soon to discuss the process for what could be combined 800-bed facility. State Rep. Thomas Saunders of New Castle told The Herald Bulletin of […]
CROWN POINT — After reducing the number of children held in juvenile detention by more than 70 percent since 2010, Lake County now is shifting its focus to better preparing kids on probation for adulthood. Lake Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak said he has given juvenile probation officers a clear directive to “treat (clients) as […]
Nearly half the people admitted to state prisons in the U.S. are there because of violations of probation or parole, according to a new nationwide study that highlights the personal and economic costs of the practice. The Council of State Governments Justice Center said the majority of these violations are for “minor infractions,” such as failing a […]
Applicants for the Knepple Scholarship should act quickly and apply on or before July 12, 2019 More information including the downloadable application Questions? Contact Bob Schuster, Chair of Awards and Recognition Committee at 219-326-6808 Ext. 2511 or your POPAI District Representative.
A national report says opioid prescriptions in Indiana have decreased by 35.1 percent over five years. The American Medical Association Opioid Task Force 2019 Progress Report shows Indiana’s reduction in opioid prescriptions from 2013 to 2018 is two percentage points higher than the national average of 33 percent.
Please submit your Intent to Run in the 2019 POPAI Elections soon, the deadline is Sunday July 7, 2019. Up for election in 2019: Vice-President Treasurer District 1 District 3 District 5 District 7 POPAI District 6 Representative Andria Geigle, is serving as the Election Committee Chair. Intent to Run Form The Intent to Run […]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday announced that it granted final approval to the first generic naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, which can be used to reverse opioid overdoses. The approval is part of the FDA’s wider effort to make tools for stopping or preventing opioid overdoses more accessible and widely used. The agency […]
Finding the disclosures provide information that any law enforcement agent “would love to have,” the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled Indiana’s requirement that sex offender inmates give detailed accounts of their past actions violates the Constitution’s protections against self-incrimination. Donald Lacy, a sex offender inmate in the Indiana Department of Correction, filed a class […]
SEATTLE — Police officers sprang from a black patrol van on a recent day, surrounding two men smoking crack on a gritty downtown block. The officers asked for ID and confiscated a homemade pipe fashioned from glass and surgical hose.. Such stops have played out for decades on the front lines of the war on […]
HANCOCK COUNTY — If the sentencing is handed down the way deputy prosecutor David Thornburg believes it should be, a couple who were involved in a drug overdose in a Greenfield motel room will face jail time. Grant Hoefener, 33, Indianapolis, and his wife, Crystal Lee, 28, Anderson, were scheduled to be sentenced on multiple […]
“Anger got the better of me,” said Bill Peyser, who took what was meant to be a noise complaint to another level, when he brought the handgun with him. Back in April of 2017, he got so frustrated with his loud neighbors, that instead of just knocking on their door, surveillance cameras captured him pointing […]
American Probation and Parole Association Technology Committee
Social media platforms allow users to engage with each other using the Internet to participate in, comment on, and create content, including photos and videos, as a means of communication. Examples of social media include blogs, social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr and Instagram), and other location-based networks. Social media […]
Senate Enrolled Act 33 and House Enrolled Act 1175 will make it easier for Hoosiers with drug addiction to receive treatment. (Indianapolis, Ind.) – A bill recently signed by Governor Eric Holcomb is expanding the number of opioid treatment centers in Indiana. In 2017, nearly 1,800 Hoosiers died of opioid overdoses, an all-time high for the […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, Hawaii, Maine and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits Monday against the maker of OxyContin and the company’s former president, alleging the firm falsely promoted the drug by downplaying the risk of addiction while it emerged as one of the most widely abused opioids in the U.S. The lawsuits were […]
Indiana could soon have another next-door neighbor that allows recreational marijuana use. Illinois is on the verge of legalizing marijuana with major new legislation that also would expunge criminal records of people with minor pot possession convictions. The Illinois legislature gave final approval to the bill last week, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he […]
New resources, including important state workforce recovery guidelines and a supporting video toolkit to assist in their implementation, are now available for Indiana employers dealing with drug use in the workplace. In addition, a new statewide survey finds many employers underestimating the impact on their own organizations and are not seeking tools to help them […]
When a defendant is convicted and sentenced to prison, it’s expected that they will be required to work while incarcerated. But a group of inmates at the New Castle Correctional Facility, Indiana’s only privately run state prison, have brought a unique legal challenge that could limit the scope of what inmates at private prisons are […]
Two key ingredients came together for Shannon McCarty to get off drugs in late 2017: connections and timing. “The police showed up because they said they got a call that we were shooting up in the car,” Shannon said. Everett police officer, Inci Yarkut walked up to window of the car where Shannon was living. […]
The state’s high court will not partake in arguments that laws criminalizing marijuana violated a man’s right to the pursuit of happiness, snuffing out his challenge to Indiana’s pot prohibition. Justices of the Indiana Supreme Court last week denied transfer in John L. Solomon v. State of Indiana, 18A-CR-2041, which posed to the court the novel question […]
In 1998, Ichard Oden committed a crime that got him sent away for two decades. He was 19. He got out of prison in February. Today, he’s a 40-year-old man with very little job experience. As it turns out, Oden is coming back into society at a time when the economy is booming and attitudes […]
Attorneys interested in receiving training on modest means and pro bono representation of domestic violence victims will have an opportunity to do so at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana next month. The Southern District Court announced the “Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Satellite Attorney Recruitment & Training Program” on Friday. […]
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Crissie Brault is a Bloomington woman whose journey to sobriety has been fraught with arrests, the loss of her children, relapse and for now, sobriety. Brault entered a rehab facility in Anderson during the summer of 2018, where she agreed to document her daily struggle to remain sober. In the videos, she […]
One Indiana county remains to voluntarily implement electronic filing in its circuit and superior courts, wrapping up a years-long effort to make all 92 Indiana counties compliant with a statewide e-filing system. E-filing became available in Clinton and Pike counties Friday, leaving just Sullivan County to make the digital switch before the year’s end. Clinton […]
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office, along with other community resource leaders, just received enough funding to take part in a nationwide planning initiative to create better care for anyone entering jail while addicted to opioids. Through this money, a group of five will travel to Washington D.C. twice from July 2019 through February 2020 for […]
NEWARK – The DiSario family has filed a civil lawsuit against several officials in Licking County Municipal Court, alleging their actions led to the death of Kirkersville police chief Steven Eric DiSario two years ago Sunday. According to Licking County court records, a complaint was filed in Licking County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday. Plaintiffs […]
Submit your application to be considered for the Donald “Charley” Knepple Scholarship Award. The winner will be announced at the 2019 Annual Indiana Probation Officers Conference in August. The qualified candidate chosen for the Scholarship Award will be awarded $2,500.00 to help pay for their costs in continuing his or her education pursuing a Masters […]
The Indiana Supreme Court once again granted transfer in two cases dealing with issues of modified fixed-plea sentences, hearing back-to-back oral arguments last week. Justices on Thursday heard the cases of State v. Stafford, 86 N.E.3d 190 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017) and Rodriguez v. State, 91 N.E.3d 1033 (Ind. Ct. App. 2018). The high court last year remanded the casesto […]
Two Clark County judges are recovering from gunshot wounds in Indianapolis after being shot in downtown Indianapolis earlier this month. Meanwhile, two men accused in the shooting have been released from their bonds after the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office declined to file charges. Clark Circuit Judges Andrew Adams and Bradley Jacobs sustained injuries during an […]
The people who arrive at Magistrate Judge Tim Baker’s courtroom the first Thursday of every month are realizing that the path to redemption requires learning to trust, changing their mindset, sometimes turning away from family and friends, and securing the ordinary things of everyday life like clothes, food and toothpaste. These people are working to […]
While acknowledging Indiana’s efforts to reform its criminal justice system has slowed the growth of the state’s prison population, a new report by the ACLU of Indiana asserts that additional reforms, including expanded access to treatment for mental health and substance abuse, could reduce the number of incarcerated by 50 percent and save Hoosier taxpayers […]
The U.S. Surgeon General has recommended that all individuals who may come into contact with opioid abusers carry and know how to use naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug that saves lives (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). Because community supervision agencies regularly interact with opioid abusers, it is important they consider equipping […]
For several decades, supervision agencies have been leveraging a variety of technological innovations to better manage justice-involved individuals in the community. Perhaps no tool has captured the imagination of the criminal justice professionals and the public alike as much as location tracking system (LTS) technology, first introduced in 1996. The ability to track an individual […]
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – An undercover operation by Louisville Metro police resulted in at least four arrests of men accused of promoting human trafficking over Derby weekend, according to newsgathering partner WAVE3 News. Arrest reports for three of the suspects — Mohith Akula, 27, of Santa Clara, California; Jackson Jones, 54, of Radcliff, Kentucky and […]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employment Situation” data for April appeared to contain nothing but good news. Unemployment dropped to the lowest level since December 1969, as it fell to 3.6%. Jobs added in the month totaled 263,000. Notably, however, the jobs situation for black Americans remains substantially worse than that of almost any other […]
As our population continues to diversify, judges encounter an increased demand to provide language access in criminal court proceedings. Although the obligation to provide court interpretation for defendants may be readily apparent, the court’s duty can get murky when a victim requires language access. The obligation becomes less clear when the victim is merely observing […]
Faced with a flood of addicted inmates and challenged by lawsuits, America’s county jails are struggling to adjust to an opioid health crisis that has turned many of the jails into their area’s largest drug treatment centers. In an effort to get a handle on the problem, more jails are adding some form of medication-assisted […]
The Sentencing Tools Application has been updated to reflect the proper Credit Class P calculations based on Thompson v. State, where a person placed on pretrial home detention earns accrued time (calculated at a day for a day). For all Credit Classes except P, a defendant incarcerated in jail for even 6 to 8 hours prior to posting […]
BUNKER HILL – An inmate at Miami Correctional Facility, who said he was using self-defense when he punched and injured a prison guard who pushed him, is getting a new trial. In February 2018, Michael Hickingbottom was found guilty by a jury of battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer, a Level […]
It’s time for the annual POPAI Elections. Up for election in 2019: Vice-President Treasurer District 1 District 3 District 5 District 7 POPAI District 6 Representative Andria Geigle, is serving as the Election Committee Chair. Intent to Run Form The Intent to Run form must be sent to Andria by Sunday July 7, 2019 (postmarked, […]
Across 50 Indiana counties, 100 courts are operating under a nontraditional judicial model. The proceedings in these courts aren’t adversarial, they’re collaborative, allowing judges, litigants and lawyers to collectively work toward a desired outcome. And the parties aren’t limited to judges, attorneys and clients – community stakeholders are also integral. As Indiana’s 100th problem-solving court […]
Dr. Brian Lovins – Assistant Director for Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department – joins the podcast to talk about the state of community corrections and probation officers as coaches. In many agencies, probation officers have been encouraged or been permitted to follow the job role of “referee.” Because research links supervision effectiveness to officers […]
In the 2½ years since the Sixth Amendment Center released a report strongly condemning indigent criminal defense in Indiana, public defenders have pressed for reforms. Now, those efforts are beginning to bear fruit as the Indiana General Assembly takes action on reform legislation. The process has been admittedly slow. The Indiana Public Defender Commission presented […]
Since 2015, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has moved into improving staff and inmate interaction and community involvement as ways to prepare inmates for life outside the prison as well as reducing recidivism. North Dakota prisons have a recidivism rate of 35 to 40 percent, according to Chad Pringle, warden of the […]
Mary L. DePrez, Director and Counsel for Trial Court Technology, Office of Judicial Administration
Text messaging has become an important tool for judges who continue to look for ways to improve customer service and bring the courts into the 21st century. Victim Safety Trial courts began using text reminders in April 2011. At that time, the statewide Protection Order Registry, a Registry of all protection orders developed by the […]
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and while there are many disturbing factors that have contributed to this trend, one of the least-discussed is the complex system of parole and probation that continues to ensnare convicted individuals long after they have paid their debt to society. An Economically Unjust and […]
SOUTHERN INDIANA — Indiana recently reached a milestone when it added its 100th problem-solving court, a system Clark and Floyd counties have been leading the way in for nearly a decade. The Indiana Supreme Court released a complete list of the courts in early April, announcing Pulaski County’s newly certified veterans treatment court as the […]
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — Johnny Bobbitt Jr. was sentenced Friday to five years on special probation and ordered to enroll in a long-term, live-in drug rehabilitation program after admitting to his role in a $402,706 GoFundMe scam. Bobbitt and his coconspirators solicited funds from more than 14,000 donors across the country with a fraudulent Good […]
Indiana, which places a greater percentage of its children in the foster care system than almost any other state, must take steps to close educational shortcomings for children in the system, according to a first-of-its-kind report released recently that details a wide achievement gap. Only 64.6 percent of high school seniors who were in foster […]
As established by Judicial Conference of Indiana per I.C. 11-13-1-8, the 2020 schedule has been posted. See more information or contact Jenny Bauer with questions.
The revocation of a Madison County man’s probation was upheld after the Indiana Court of Appeals found the evidence presented to the trial court of his continued drug activity met the test for reliability. Mark Lee Votra was determined to have violated the terms of his probation on two occasions in early 2018. Elwood Police […]
CLARK COUNTY, Nevada (FOX5) – Detention Alternative for Autistic Youth (DAAY) is the only court of its kind in the nation with the goal to help those on the autism spectrum get out of the juvenile system. DAAY’s goal is to keep those kids from becoming adult offenders. “Most of youth that we see have […]
Probation Officer Donald Knepple was shot and killed after being ambushed by a man at a counseling center on South Calhoun Street in Fort Wayne. The suspect, a former juvenile corrections officer who had been convicted of attempted child molestation, had arranged a meeting with his counselor and Probation Officer Knepple with the intent of […]
This is the 106th year of the drug war since the passage of the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act in 1914. It’s fair to say that we’re still losing. Our losses, both in human life and financial costs, are so staggering that they are incomprehensible. To many, it looks like we’ve stopped fighting to win. The […]
Police also said they found 50,000 vape cartridges in the cargo storage area of the truck Two men are facing felony charges after being found with $3.5 million worth of marijuana and THC-filled vape cartridges during a traffic stop last week in central Indiana. Danny J. Luttrell II and Brandon M. Pierson, both 27, were […]
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Supreme Court is hearing the case of a woman who refused to unlock her cellphone for police in a stalking investigation. Attorneys in the case say the court’s decision could undermine privacy interests and constitutional rights, or public safety and law enforcement. The Supreme Court will hear arguments next month […]
‘Active-shooter’ trainings are becoming a remarkable new normal. An active-shooter training in Indiana took a gruesome turn earlier this year when sheriff’s deputies shot elementary school teachers in the back with plastic pellets, mock-execution style. The teachers union detailed the incident this week, highlighting the extreme and potentially ineffective measures many schools have undertaken to avert […]
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to the 1988 beating death of a pregnant mother in South Bend, Indiana, has died in jail. The St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office says 78-year-old George Kearney was found unresponsive Saturday night in the county jail’s medical unit. He was pronounced dead early Sunday. Authorities […]
Lake County has sued Indiana in a long-running dispute about who is responsible for defending probation officers accused of wrongdoing in their official capacity. Filed late March in Porter County Superior Court, the lawsuit names the state of Indiana, the office of the Indiana attorney general and the Lake County Probation Department as defendants. It […]
On Feb. 16, Rachael Michelle Olson received a text message telling her that three days later she was expected at Hennepin County, Minnesota, court at 1:30 p.m. She had no idea what was going on. “I was freaked out,” she said. Olson described the text as a complete surprise and said she did not know […]
Your local perspective on violence in schools reflects a global concern. When you think about violence in schools, what immediately comes to mind? Maybe you remember an incident of bullying that you or a child you know has experienced, or a school shooting that has devastated a local community. These are certainly two significant kinds […]
What does it mean to listen? Is it the passive process of taking in sound waves? What about absorbing the context of words and the feelings behind them? Listening has layers of meaning that stretch beyond the inert and into the active. Working at the Crisis Prevention Institute, I often hear the term “Empathic Listening.” […]
Drug court, it pays off. An Indiana University School of Social Work professor’s evaluation of Monroe County’s 20-year-old Drug Treatment Court found that participants are much less likely to commit other crimes than drug offenders who do not participate in drug court. While 54 percent of non-drug court participants got arrested again, just 18 percent […]
Probation officers seek safety; sheriff fears introducing firearms into equation Officials within the Howard County Community Corrections Advisory Board are debating allowing those who make home visits to citizens on probation or in-home detention to carry firearms, and the prospect drew mixed opinions. The discussion of whether to allow probation officers and field officers within […]
The jittery, delusional potheads of the old movie “Reefer Madness” have prompted eye rolls and chuckles over the years, but a new study argues that the cult classic might contain a kernel of truth. Smoking pot every day could increase your risk of a psychotic break with reality, particularly if you have access to high-potency […]
Young adults born after 1995 are experiencing more mental health issues. Researchers point to lack of sleep and the rise of social media. Mental health issues have risen significantly over the last decade and the rise of digital media may be one reason why, according to a national survey released Thursday. The research, published by […]
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – One of Kentucky’s Probation and Parole offices in Louisville was shut down after an officer came in contact with fentanyl, WAVE 3 News has learned. According to the Department of Corrections, the suspect, Wade Carr, was reporting to the District 18 Probation and Parole Office on Stephen Drive off Dixie Highway […]
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Thursday that his office will seek lower terms of probation and parole when making sentencing recommendations and negotiating plea deals. Krasner already has sought shorter sentences, charged crimes at a lower level, and reduced reliance on cash bail for low-level offenses. Now he hopes to address “mass supervision” of […]
WEST ORANGE, N.J., March 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — As the addiction epidemic continues to spread, it is ensnaring more women. 19.5 million women over age 18 (15.4%) used illicit drugs in the past year; 8.4 million misused prescription drugs; and, the growth rate of addiction to heroin for women has outpaced that of men since 2003. Dr. Indra Cidambi, […]
An inmate ordered to serve the reminder of his sentence after violating his probation lost his argument against several probation officers involved in his case when the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the officers were protected under quasi-judicial immunity. After Randy Thornton pled guilty to Class C felony possession of cocaine, he was ordered to […]
In partnership with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration/Division of Mental Health and Addiction, the Indiana Office of Court Services is accepting grant applications to provide financial assistance to counties using a Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) approach to enhance collaborative partnerships between the local criminal justice system and behavioral health care providers to address […]
Related Article: POPAI Submits an Amicus Curiae Brief with Court of Appeals Holding that probation officers as court employees are entitled to cash payouts of unused paid time off at the time of their separation of employment, the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a judgment in favor of a former Hendricks County probation officer. The […]
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Stranded and in need of life saving support – imagine wanting to get addiction help, but simply not having a ride to get there. That’s one of the biggest challenges Hoosiers with addiction face. A new program is hoping to change that. Indiana 211 is now a green light to vital care. […]
The Noble County woman was using drugs – “pretty much anything,” but mostly meth. It was 2009, she’d just had a daughter, and another baby, a boy, was on the way. The Indiana Department of Child Services took custody of her son before she could leave the hospital with him. “That’s how bad it was,” […]
Hendricks County – Wednesday, March 13, at 11:33 a.m., an Indiana State Trooper stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 eastbound, near the 66 mile marker, for a traffic violation of following too closely. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Danny J. Luttrell II, 27, Indianapolis, Indiana, and a passenger in the vehicle was identified […]
Kristen Banschbach, Director of Community Corrections
(Website Administrator’s note: Board Members received the following email this week and I am publishing it here for your information. Karen) The Indiana Department of Correction has received many challenges with the current timeline of the grants. We have analyzed the concerns and will begin a grant cycle based on a calendar year beginning in […]
I posted an article with a list of books recently and Members responded with some more. I thought you’d be interested in them. Never Split the Difference, Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It Amazon Summary Check your local library. I found physical, electronic, and audio versions through Monroe County. “Although not about probation officers, […]
On Saturday for the first time in its roughly two-year history, e-cigarette company Juul shared some limited data from a clinical trial with the press. In general, that kind of research is considered a key way to protect public health by ensuring a product does not cause undo harm. As a startup, Juul developed a […]
A loving wife and mother of three young children. A woman with a strong faith in God. A woman who strived to be fair to everyone. A woman who left a legacy of love and courage. A woman who was a rising star in the community. Those are just some of the ways colleagues are […]
(POPAI Website Administrator’s note: based on the Amazon summary and reviews I’m not all for #2 but the rest are worth checking out. Update: I’ve started to hear from members with more titles you might enjoy. I’ll add as I hear more. ~ Karen) To be a good officer, you need street smarts; to be […]
Opioid abuse in the U.S. is a crisis, so much so that President Trump declared the epidemic to be a public health emergency under federal law in October 2017 and signed bipartisan legislation to address the issue in October 2018. Dr. Raeford Brown, a pediatric anesthesia specialist at the UK Kentucky Children’s Hospital and chair […]
The POPAI Membership Year runs from January through December. If you haven’t had the opportunity to renew your membership you may do so in several ways. Online Individuals Corporate Members By mail Download and print the Application then mail a check to Susan Rice Membership Coordinator, POPAI c/o Miami County Probation 25 Court Street Peru, […]
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.
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 […]
La PORTE – For the second consecutive year, La Porte County has ranked among the top six Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) counties in the state. And for consistently exceeding JDAI standards, La Porte Circuit Court has been awarded $49,000 in performance grant funds, up from the $38,000 it was awarded in 2018. “It’s been […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Most people in Indiana’s parole program are finding jobs after their release from prison despite having felony convictions, the program’s director says. About 80 percent of Indiana residents on parole have found employment, and most of those who fail on parole haven’t found a job or have their parole revoked because they use drugs and […]
NIJ is committed to realizing the full potential of artificial intelligence to promote public safety and reduce crime. “Intelligent machines” have long been the subject of science fiction. However, we now live in an era in which artificial intelligence (Al) is a reality, and it is having very real and deep impacts on our daily […]
Hon. Vicki Carmichael | Judge, Clark Circuit Court #4 and Hon. Charles F. Pratt | Judge, Allen Superior Court
A Cultural Shift Historically, two distinct and separate paths were followed in the provision of services to children who came to the attention of the juvenile justice system. The selected path was generally not determined as a result of an assessment of the totality of the child’s circumstances and needs. Rather, the path was determined […]
An agreement reached in federal court in February will allow Indiana Medicaid recipients infected with Hepatitis C to receive direct-acting antiviral medications, or DAAs, sooner rather than having to wait until the disease has significantly damaged their livers. An order signed Feb. 12 by Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker of the U.S. District Court for […]
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In a decision that may curb the rise of financial penalties and property seizures in the U.S. criminal justice system, the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the first time ruled that the U.S. Constitution’s ban on “excess fines” applies to states as well as the federal government. The nine justices ruled unanimously […]
It’s a Friday night and roommates Jason Jones and Tamiko Panzella are hanging out in the Oakland, Calif., apartment they share, laughing about an epic gym workout misfire. “I get there and we have to take our shoes and socks off. And I’m like, oh no, she got me into yoga. She tricked me,” Jones […]
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a woman’s drunken driving conviction after finding that she failed to provide sufficient evidence that one of the jurors hearing her case withheld potentially prejudicial information. When emergency personnel found Tracie Easler after receiving a report of an unconscious person, she was unresponsive, sitting behind the wheel of her […]
Permitting pot is one thing; promoting its use is another. A few years ago, the National Academy of Medicine convened a panel of sixteen leading medical experts to analyze the scientific literature on cannabis. The report they prepared, which came out in January of 2017, runs to four hundred and sixty-eight pages. It contains no […]
The reason drugs are killing more Americans every year has to do with the social toxins in our communities. As opioid deaths surge nationwide, the overdose crisis that claims so many young lives every day has spiraled into a public health emergency. But the epidemic started long before your teenage neighbor took his last hit […]
ndiana’s chief justice and the most senior jurist on the Indiana Supreme Court published a sharp dissent Tuesday from a 3-2 ruling that could pave the way for defendants to be sentenced via video. Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Justice Steven David argued in the minority that defendants have a constitutional right to be physically […]
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 […]
The Supreme Court of the United States may have the ultimate say on whether women in Indiana seeking abortions will have to pay an additional visit to a doctor’s office for an ultrasound before undergoing the procedure. On Monday the state of Indiana asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s preliminary injunction blocking […]
Leaders of state and national criminal justice organizations are declaring their support for the Indiana Public Defender Commission’s reform initiative, which the commission is presenting to the Indiana General Assembly this year in an effort to secure additional funds to expand and improve indigent defense services statewide. In a letter submitted to House Speaker Brian […]
For the first time on record the odds of accidentally dying from an opioid overdose in the United States are now greater than those of dying in an automobile accident. The grim finding comes from the National Safety Council which analyzed preventable injury and fatality statistics from 2017. The NSC also found the lifetime odds […]
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 […]
Ten months into piloting a pretrial release program, Grant County officials are seeing the outcome they wanted – defendants showing up to their court date. Grant County was one of 11 counties selected to pilot a pretrial release program that helps judges make more informed decisions on who they release. The program began on March […]
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 […]
An attorney in northeastern Indiana has been suspended from the practice of law after she was criminally charged. The lawyer has been accused of signing a judge’s name to a phony order in a divorce case and sending emails to an expungement client’s widow posing as a deputy prosecutor. Jill N. Holtzclaw of Decatur was […]
According to the US Department of Justice, 856,130 juveniles were arrested across the country during 2016, 45,567 of which were held in 1,772 juvenile facilities. Of those 45,567 juveniles, an average of fifteen to eighteen percent identified as LGBTQ–that’s twice the rate at which LGBTQ are represented within the general US population. In a recent […]
With applause amplified from all corners of the Indiana General Assembly’s House Chamber, the leader of Indiana’s judiciary declared the state’s judiciary is “sound, steady and strong” in 2019. Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush shared the highlights of the judiciary’s work in 2018 while looking toward the year ahead during the 2019 State of the […]
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 […]
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 […]
A juvenile probation officer has been named as the county’s chief probation officer. Angela C. Morris has been appointed chief probation officer for the Johnson County courts. She will supervise both adult and juvenile probation divisions. She starts her new job Jan. 26. Morris replaces Suzanne Miller, who is retiring after serving in the role […]
What are the most addictive drugs? This question seems simple, but the answer depends on whom you ask. From the points of view of different researchers, the potential for a drug to be addictive can be judged in terms of the harm it causes, the street value of the drug, the extent to which the […]
An Indianapolis attorney charged with intimidation against a Marion County court and other offenses has been suspended from the practice of law after the Indiana Supreme Court granted a petition for his emergency suspension. The high court granted the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission’s emergency petition in a Friday order that requested the suspension of Kraig A. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Over the past three years the Recovery Works team has had the opportunity to serve over 35,000 unique individuals across the State of Indiana. Read more in this downloadable PDF: Recovery Works Update for Criminal Justice Partners.
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. […]
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 […]
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — While the nearly three-week government shutdown has impacted more than 800,000 federal employees and various agencies nationwide, its local impact has been minimal. News reports surfaced over the weekend that one well-known federal initiative — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — may have limited funding after Jan. 31 which would impact the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Finding the circumstances of an Orange County case to be “exceptional,” a majority of the Indiana Supreme Court has reduced a woman’s sentence and ordered that she be removed from the Department of Correction and instead placed in community corrections. A dissenting justice would have denied transfer of the case. Friday’s decision in Lisa Livingston […]
A new and free science-based curriculum designed to teach adolescents about the risks of opioids has been released by Project ALERT, a national evidence-based drug education program created and managed by the nonprofit RAND Corporation. The curriculum is available for download from the Project ALERT website at http://www.projectalert.com. The opioid risk curriculum is part of […]
By Katharine Q. Seelye, Julie Turkewitz, Jack Healy and Alan Blinder
Amid an opioid crisis, police and strangers with cameras are posting raw images of drug users passed out. For those whose bleakest moments now live online, life is never the same. The first time Kelmae Hemphill watched herself overdose, she sobbed. There she was in a shaky video filmed by her own heroin dealer, sprawled […]
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 […]
Jail Expansion as Prison Reform in Indiana During the 2016 presidential race, Governor Mike Pence said: “We need to adopt criminal justice reform nationally. I signed criminal justice reform in the state of Indiana, and we are very proud of it.” He was referring to House Bill 1006, which he signed on May 5, 2015 […]
Vaping among America’s teenagers continues to climb, while the use of other substances — such as alcohol and opioids — has declined in recent years, according to a new report. Monday’s report, called Monitoring the Future, comes from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and is based on an annual survey of drug […]
A bipartisan bill aimed at overhauling federal prisons and reducing recidivism has been overwhelmingly approved by Congress. The legislation is now on the verge of becoming law, with the House’s approval on Thursday, the Senate’s passage on Tuesday and the backing of President Trump. Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan previously voiced support for […]
Knox County in southwestern Indiana has landed a $500,000 federal grant that will allow officials to nearly double the county’s drug court. The courts in Vincennes will use the Justice Department funding to hire another full-time case worker, buy portable breathalyzer machines and make other improvements to expand the drug court over the next four […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The overall crime rate continues to fluctuate in Indianapolis — with notable downward trends in important categories — but the number of homicides year over year won’t budge. In fact, the city is on track to set a record for homicides for the fourth straight year. More alarming is that neither Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett […]
Christmas is just around the corner, meaning a few days of merriment and over-indulgence for many people. For others, though, it’s a tough time of year. People struggling with addiction, for example, can face a number of hurdles, according to the American Addiction Centers’ chief medical officer Lawrence Weinstein. “The holidays can be a challenging […]
Teen planned to commit violence at Indiana school, but police say tipster helped them stop him A teenager was en route to an Indiana middle school Thursday to commit an act of violence, but police were able to stop him after receiving a tip, state police said. The 14-year-old exchanged gunfire with police at Dennis […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
MOUNT CARBON, Pa. (AP) — Janel Firestone found her son — the 24-year-old, just resigned mayor of the tiny Pennsylvania town of Mount Carbon — in what she assumed was a deep sleep. She tried to wake him for his overnight shift at the local supermarket, but he couldn’t be roused, even after she sprinkled […]
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 […]
As the nation struggled with the rising number of opioid deaths, a private drug company increased the price of an overdose antidote more than 600 percent, a Senate subcommittee says in a new report. The increase has cost the federal Medicare and Medicaid health programs more than $142 million since 2014, according the Homeland Security […]
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A new website is available to provide legal resources to Indiana residents of limited financial means and help them with civil matters including family, housing, employment, and educational services. The website, indianalegalhelp.org , provides contact information for legal service providers in each county, questions to ask when hiring a lawyer and a […]
The number of people hospitalized because of amphetamine use is skyrocketing in the United States, but the resurgence of the drug largely has been overshadowed by the nation’s intense focus on opioids. Amphetamine-related hospitalizations jumped by about 245% from 2008 to 2015, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. […]
Overview The number of people with opioid use disorder (OUD)—which is marked by a dependence on opioids, including prescription pain relievers and illicit drugs such as heroin—far exceeds the treatment capacity across the country. In 2017, more than 450,000 individuals with OUD were unable to access treatment. Increasingly, states and local communities are implementing models […]
The overdose-reversing drug naloxone saves thousands of lives each year and is more widely available today than ever. So why do overdose deaths across the U.S. continue to rise? According to one 2018 study, naloxone itself is partly to blame. Naloxone, the authors of the study wrote, increases opioid use and does not reduce opioid-related […]
Christie Thompson and Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge | The Marshall Project
Inside federal prisons’ dangerous failure to treat inmates with mental-health disorders The voices in John Rudd’s head were getting louder. It was April 2017, and Rudd, an inmate at a federal prison near Hazelton, W.Va., had stopped taking his psychiatric medication. He told staff members that he wanted to hang himself, so they moved him […]
Summary: A new mouse study reveals exercise may help curb drug addiction and buffer against relapse by altering the production of peptides in the brain. The siren call of addictive drugs can be hard to resist, and returning to the environment where drugs were previously taken can make resistance that much harder. However, addicts who […]
A newly-created position at the Monroe County Correctional Center will serve as a gofer between inmates inside the jail and family members on the outside. Need help setting up an account for the jail’s video visitation system? Need an inmate’s signature on legal paperwork? Need assistance working the computer kiosk inside the jail’s lobby? Have […]
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 […]
(Slide Show) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes data about drug overdose mortality rates in every state, annually. Here is a look at the states ranked by overdose-related death rates for 2016, the most recent year available. Synopsis of Slides: (see original article for all) #50: The overdose death rate in Nebraska is […]
Trial Court Technology is distributing $271,000 in scanners to probation departments across the state to facilitate e-filing. Contact Mary DePrez with questions.
Jerry Swartz knows a thing or two about making money. The Moberly, Mo., man owns an insurance agency, a real estate development company and other businesses. He has more than 30 employees. He’s done well for himself. So when he describes the revenue strategy of private probation companies in Missouri, his words carry a certain […]
Bioengineer, Credit: Medical University of South Carolina
When patients with dependence on alcohol, cocaine or nicotine are shown drug cues, or images related to the substance, an area of their brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) shows increased activity, report investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in an article published online September 7, 2018 in Translational Psychiatry. […]
It’s not because teens are consuming weed more, it’s because they’re using tobacco and alcohol less Teens used to try alcohol first, then tobacco, and then marijuana. Now, marijuana is increasingly the first “gateway” substance for adolescents, according to new research. This trend is not because teens are smoking cannabis more than ever. Rather, the […]
SAN FRANCISCO — It has been dubbed “the Florida Shuffle.” Drug addicts from across the country get lured to the Sunshine State for decades with the promise of treatment, only to be traded from one unscrupulous drug rehab to another. Meanwhile, the patient’s insurance company gets milked for tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent […]
From Virginia to Alaska, methamphetamine use is surging — and it’s hitting in many places still reeling from the opioid crisis In the shadows of the nationwide opioid crisis, another threat looms. Methamphetamine use is on the rise in small rural pockets of the country, from Oklahoma and Virginia, to Kentucky and Florida, and, as […]
With college costs rising and a shortage of skilled trade workers, trade school offers students an alternate path to a promising career. In a world where college costs are rising and student loans can be stifling, high school students and their parents are increasingly looking for alternatives to expensive four-year college programs. One alternative that […]
A man arguing that a trial court abused its discretion in imposing an advisory sentence without issuing a statement lost his case when the Indiana Court of Appeals found that under Indiana code, courts are not required to issue statements for advisory felony sentences. In May 2008, Anthony Ward, Sr., pleaded guilty to Level 5 […]
Recent analyses show that people in the construction industry are six times more likely to die of an opioid overdose than other workers. Construction workers are dying from opioid overdoses across the country, both because they are often forced to work hard jobs through the pain of injuries in order to provide for their families—and […]
Substance use comes with cognitive repercussions. While the recreational use of marijuana is an increasingly a legalized activity, the exact science of what the drug does to the brain isn’t yet conclusive. In an effort to understand what happens to the brain right from the start of smoking, scientists recently studied the substance use of nearly […]
The FDA announced on Friday that it would side with its advisory panel by approving a new opioid drug, called Dsuvia, despite the country already being in the midst of an opioid crisis and critics voicing concerns about the safety of the drug. FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb defended the FDA’s decision to approve the […]
What factors fueled the growing opioid crisis that exists in the US right now? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Beth Macy, Bestselling author (Dopesick, Factory Man, Truevine), on Quora: Rapacious overselling of painkillers, pushed under the […]
On Election Day, Ohioans will vote on a ballot initiative designed to help decriminalize nonviolent drug use and to divert millions of taxpayer dollars — currently spent pursuing an outdated and failed war on drugs — into drug treatment programs. By challenging perceptions of drug users, Issue 1 upends racist assumptions the nation has accepted […]
The passage of a bill in Michigan on Tuesday is creating buzz around Indiana. Voters voted in favor of Proposal 1, which will legalize recreational use of marijuana in Michigan in early December for adults 21 and older. Cannabis has been legal for medical use in Michigan since 2008. Medical marijuana is also legal in […]
INDIANAPOLIS — Jennifer Fleming was convicted of dealing drugs in 2012, but when she gets out of prison next year, she is hoping for a job in computer coding. “Technology is definitely going to be a steppingstone in keeping myself stable,” said Ms. Fleming, who is one of eight women in a pilot program at […]
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 — […]
Following hundreds of lawsuits over the years against pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma, Colorado’s attorney general is suing the OxyContin creator for its “significant role in causing the opioid epidemic.” The lawsuit claims Purdue Pharma L.P. and Purdue Pharma Inc. deluded doctors and patients in Colorado about the potential for addiction with prescription opioids and continued […]
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 […]
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 […]
At first glance, faith and law may not seem to mix. Faith, on one hand, requires one to be gentle and forgiving. Law, on the other, requires strength and firmness. Yet both deal heavily in questions of morality — in deciding what is right and wrong. Judge Marc Kellams, 69, has explored that mix of […]
Marijuana advocates were overjoyed this week when Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner legalized medical cannabis as a substitute for prescription painkillers. The Marijuana Policy Project called it a “big win” for patients, and officials say it will greatly expand the number of patients, possibly saving lives. But the new state law raises the question: How effective […]
Rhode Island inmates get opioid replacements while they’re locked up and it seems to be keeping them from overdosing when they get out. CRANSTON, R.I. — By the time police caught Paul Roussell with heroin last summer, the 58-year-old lobster fisherman had been addicted to the drug for almost 10 years. He’d gone from sniffing […]
Proposed site on Ewing Lane still to pass planning commission, council JEFFERSONVILLE — Over the past two and a half years, one Southern Indiana woman has found a way out of a bad situation and now can look ahead at a new life, through the help of a permanent supportive housing program through LifeSpring Health […]
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Federal authorities’ shift away from separating immigrant families caught in the U.S. illegally now means that many parents and children are quickly released, only to be fitted with electronic monitoring devices — a practice which both the government and advocacy groups oppose for different reasons. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement […]
“Make no mistake, no matter who you are or what you look like: Maddie’s bell tolls for someone close to you, and maybe someone you love.” “Gut wrenching.” “Heartbreaking.” “A beautiful tribute.” Those are just a few of the words being used on social media to describe the obituary for Madelyn Linsenmeir, whose family wrote […]
INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse has launched an interactive, online naloxone administration heat map that provides insight into the location of incidents where naloxone was administered and reported by emergency medical services providers. Also known by the brand name Narcan®, naloxone blocks the effects of an opioid overdose and can save the life […]
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 […]
Many judges, magistrates, and commissioners were recognized by Chief Justice Loretta Rush for their commitment to higher education and their long-time service. Fourteen judicial officers received an Indiana Judicial College certificate, twenty-nine received an Indiana Graduate Program for Judges certificate, and eleven were honored for Years of Service on the bench. The honors were presented […]
A revolutionary fingerprint scanner can deliver drug test results within minutes with up to 99 per cent accuracy. That’s the finding of a new study that looked at the performance of the Reader 1000 compared to existing urine and blood tests. The device accurately tests for the four main groups of drugs most commonly abused […]
The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by improper means such as force, abduction, fraud or coercion for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation. However, the really scary thing about human trafficking is the fact that the Midwest, as well as the state […]
E-filing is now mandatory in Warrick County, with just four more counties remaining to implement the online filing system. As of Tuesday, 89 Indiana trial courts have adopted mandatory e-filing for most case types. Courts that will soon make the switch to mandatory e-filing include Goshen City Court, Lake Circuit and Superior Courts, Wayne Circuit […]
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 […]
He may be the one wearing the robe, but the rapport Monroe Circuit Judge Kenneth Todd shares with defendants lacks the rigidity commonly found in court hearings. Instead, as defendants approach the bench, there is a sense of familiarity between him and those whose future he holds in his hands. “How long have you and […]
Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill eliminating cash bail in the state Tuesday Maryland virtually eliminated cash bail in 2017, but proponents of a reworked justice system are not happy with the results Several states and cities are moving toward reducing or ending cash bail California became the first state to end the […]
Driven in part by family tragedy, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has repeatedly pledged to open what could be the first supervised drug injection site in the country. However, California Gov. Jerry Brown made the promise tougher to keep when he vetoed legislation over the weekend that would have given San Francisco some legal cover […]
Pastor tells how, at 14, his plot to avenge a murder fell apart The Rev. Charles Harrison’s brother was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, at the age of 21. “I will never forget that, when my parents received the phone call to inform them that my brother had been killed in Louisville,” Harrison said, speaking to […]
When I relocated to Indiana to assume my role as chief medical officer at Fairbanks three years ago, I witnessed firsthand — on day one — the level of devastation the opioid crisis has inflicted on our communities. Today, despite physicians’ best efforts, relentless news coverage, and the establishment of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Commission to Combat Drug Abuse, the opioid epidemic is getting worse in Indiana. This illness does not […]
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 […]
Doctors are prescribing benzodiazepines, like Xanax and Ativan, at skyrocketing rates. But most don’t know about their debilitating, even deadly, effects. Video: When Christy Huff developed a painful eye problem that led to insomnia, her doctor had a common solution— Xanax. She took the medication as directed. One pill at night offered her some […]
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 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 […]
The Senate on Monday passed a bipartisan, multipronged package of 70 bills aimed at curbing the opioid epidemic, but Congress still has work to do to reach the finish line. The package, which passed 99-1 and focuses on prevention and treatment, includes a provision President Trump endorsed on Twitter last month. It marks the most […]
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 […]
Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana’s New Beginnings hosted the 3-on-3 basketball tournament bringing together participants in New Beginnings, a six month re-entry program for ex-offenders that work on job and life skills, with representatives from Goodwill, IMPD, the Mayor’s Office, Marion County Probation department and other services.
The Trump administration has awarded Indiana more than $25 million to fight the opioid epidemic, largely by expanding access to treatment and recovery services. Indiana’s funding announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was among more than $1 billion awarded to all 50 states to combat opioid abuse. Indiana is getting […]
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush has been named the state’s 2018 Government Leader of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. “The role of the chief justice of Indiana is expansive in both its responsibilities and importance,” a Tuesday press release said. “Loretta Rush brings a passionate commitment, and strong organizational skills and communication […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it is ready to hire an additional 50 Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) specialists following President Trump’s signing today of the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018, a new law shoring up support services to Veterans impacted by the justice system. The law requires […]
(See original article for a video) The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released preliminary overdose estimates for 2017. Although a few states offer some encouraging examples of progress, the estimates — or even just one, the record 72,000 overdose deaths — offer a troubling look at how the United States is still struggling to […]
In 2010, more than 4 million adults in the United States were under probation supervision, according to estimates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Increasingly, the role of probation officers—the correctional professionals who supervise these individuals—has shifted from monitoring offender compliance with court orders to helping people change their behavior. This more inThis is a […]
Society for Human Resource Management and the Charles Koch Institute
5/17/2018
A Survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Charles Koch Institute The number of Americans with a criminal history is on the rise, and nearly one-third of the adult working-age population has a record. A new nationwide study commissioned by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Charles Koch Institute […]
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 […]
The United States Probation Office for the Southern District of Indiana has been dedicated to the memory of U.S. Probation Officer Thomas E. Gahl, who was the first U.S. Probation Officer killed in the line of duty by a parolee. Tom was killed on September 22, 1986, by Michael Wayne Jackson, who had a life-long […]
A juvenile accused of robbing a pharmacy might not be tried in federal criminal court because attempted robbery is not considered a violent crime in Indiana, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, vacating the teen’s waiver to be tried as an adult. D.D.B. was arrested with an adult accomplice shortly after an Indianapolis […]
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 […]
The Founder’s Award is a way of recognizing individuals who have significantly contributed to the field of probation in general and specifically to the POPAI organization. The recipient need not be a Probation Officer or POPAI member. The selected person however, shall be characterized by his/her commitment of influence and promotion of professionalism to Indiana […]
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – – The Food and Drug Administration made national headlines when it declared that teen vaping is an epidemic. The agency threatened to stop the sale of flavored e-cigarettes if the manufacturers cannot prove they are doing enough to keep them out of the hands of teens. JUUL and at least […]
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 […]
Declining user fee revenues continue to be a budgeting concern for probation and community corrections officials. Two probation officer positions previously supported by the court, alcohol and drug fees fund were moved to the county general fund on Tuesday, the first day of the 2019 county council budget work sessions. Chief Probation Officer Linda Brady […]
Around 25 years ago, Ty Hookway, founder of the upstate New York-based janitorial services company CleanCraft, was driving past one of their client’s houses when he noticed one of his workers’ cars parked in front. It was late–around 11 p.m.–so Hookway stopped to check in and see if everything was okay. Inside, he saw Sanford […]
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, 116 people die from opioid-related overdoses every day. These numbers reached record highs in 2016, prompting President Trump to temporarily declare a state of emergency in late 2017, but new opioid overdose statistics analyzed by Salon show the crisis could actually be getting worse. Data […]
Richard King suffers from bipolar disorder. A pastor and Vietnam veteran from Fort Smith, Ark., Richard has undergone treatment for his mental illness for years. But when a stomach illness prevented him from taking his prescribed medication, he found himself on March 11 experiencing a mental health crisis that led to his arrest on a […]
There are real concerns with marijuana addiction. That doesn’t mean legalization is a bad idea. It is now widely accepted that marijuana is, at the very least, less dangerous than other recreational drugs. The typical line you’ll hear — I certainly do in my email inbox — is that “marijuana is harmless,” often meant as […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
Criminal defendants who don’t show up for a court hearing may find themselves in a bad place — jail — if a judge orders them arrested for failure to appear. This happens all the time. It can be a life-altering event for the person who gets arrested, who is held without bond, sometimes for days, […]
OAKLAND, Calif. — Every year, thousands of people addicted to opioids show up at hospital emergency rooms in withdrawal so agonizing it leaves them moaning and writhing on the floor. Usually, they’re given medicines that help with vomiting or diarrhea and sent on their way, maybe with a few numbers to call about treatment. When […]
A woman that police called “one of the worst DUI offenders in the United States” has been sentenced. RIVERSIDE, Ill. (WLS) — Tasha Lynn Schleicher, 41, of New Hope, Minnesota, was arrested in west suburban Riverside in April and faced multiple charges, including two counts of felony aggravated drunk driving, two counts of misdemeanor drunk […]
Compared to jail, electronic monitoring with ankle bracelets is said to be a more humane and effective approach—but it’s not so simple. The movement to reform bail practices and thereby shrink jail populations could lead to a harmful over-reliance on electronic monitoring. Nearly half a million people who have not yet been convicted of a […]
The House is touting passage of dozens of bills that could help combat the national opioid crisis — but a small handful of companies that have spent millions lobbying Congress could reap a windfall if any of the bills become law. In a two-week legislative blitz, the House cleared several narrowly tailored measures that would […]
Linda Brady, Probation Representative to State EBDM Policy Team
The state Evidence Based Decision Making (EBDM) Policy Team met on August 17, 2018. Agenda and Work Group Reports: State EBDM Team Agenda 8-17-2018 Pretrial Work Group Report 8-17-2018 Behavior Responses Group Report 8-17-2018 Professional Development Work Group Report 8-14-2018 Data Work Group Report 8-14-2018 The next State Team meeting will be October 5, 2018, […]
The 18th Annual Judge David’s Community In-Service is on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. This year’s theme is: “Keeping Our Kids in Safe Waters: How to Navigate the Depths of Mental Health Challenges and Suicide Prevention”. Attendees will hear a powerful Keynote presentation from Kevin Hines. In September 2000, Kevin leapt off the Golden Gate Bridge, […]
Recently retired public defender planned to pursue passion for judiciary before fatal shooting, friends say A prominent attorney remembered for his warmth, good humor and precise legal mind was expected to retire at month’s end to pursue his passion for the judiciary. Instead, Tracy Edward Page was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon at his Hobart […]
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 […]
A man who argued public policy should disfavor criminally charging people who have overdosed on heroin lost Wednesday, as the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed his felony possession conviction. Tavis Ray Crittendon raised those arguments and others in appealing his conviction after a bench trial in Kosciusko County. “Although Crittendon argues that there is a […]
Nationally-acclaimed photographer, Richard Ross, brings his work “Juvenile In Justice” to Bloomington for the month of April. His photos show the treatment and containment of children in detention centers and have been featured by CNN, NPR, TIME Magazine, 60 Minutes, The Washington Post and more. The artist visited Bloomington for two days and held events, […]
The Vigo County Veterans Court has been recognized and is being awarded a federal grant. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) — The Vigo County veterans court was started about three years ago by Judge John Roach. Since it started it’s helped almost 30 veterans get out of the system and get their lives back on track. […]
For almost 35 years, the county’s road crew program has served as an alternative to jail time. However, for financial reasons, Monroe County judges decided to discontinue the program. The last day of the program was Saturday. Eight individuals participated. “We are disappointed that we have to cease with road crew, but we have to […]
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 […]
A car inspection on I-70 led to the discovery of $1 million worth of marijuana hidden in fresh lettuce, Indiana State Police said Wednesday. A tractor-trailer traveling eastbound was stopped near the 41 mile marker around 7:30 a.m. in Putnam County for a routine inspection, State Police said in a news release. A search of […]
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WAVE) – Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb is now joining the call to pass a hate crime law in the Hoosier state. The move comes just days after anti-Semitic graffiti was spray painted on a synagogue in Carmel. The vandalism has united the Carmel community and much of the state who are urging lawmakers […]
“Dr. Earl gave us treasures and nuggets that we have immediately implemented, with respect to diversity recruitment and retention, and leadership development.” — Alfred Dowe, Asst. Director of Recruitment and Community Outreach University of Arkansas Graduate School and International Education “Many, many thanks for your refreshing insights and positive approaches to coping with change during […]
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 […]
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 […]
The following candidates are slated for the 2018 POPAI Fall Election: President: Adam McQueen Secretary: Cherie Wood District 2: Cheryl Bartnick Ryan Hull Heather Malone District 4: Lakisha Fisher District 6: Andria Geigle District 8: Mignon Ware Article XII ELECTIONS E. Voting The President of the Association shall open the annual meeting of the Association […]
Stakeholders discuss ways to curb addiction Police, health care providers and others at the center of the local opioid problem will soon receive a map for helping tackle drug abuse. After months of gathering input, Montgomery United Fund For You’s United Against Opioid Abuse Project is completing a report that seeks to gauge the extent […]
INDIANAPOLIS — The Hoosier State is at the center of America’s opioid drug abuse epidemic, so it’s up to Hoosiers to figure out how best to combat the scourge and prepare for the next one. That motivation drew nearly 1,000 judicial, law enforcement, public health and community leaders from all 92 counties to the Indiana […]
INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of criminal justice professionals tasted the cruel reality of the state’s opioid crisis when Marion Superior Court Judge William Nelson played a chilling 911 call from a mother who had just found her 20-year-old son dead from an overdose. The 90-second recording of the despondent and sobbing woman filled the ballroom at […]
In Dallas County, Texas, the main outlet of psychiatric care for those with mental illness is no longer the corrections system. A five-year initiative aimed at bridging the gap between the legal and medical communities is successfully diverting justice-involved mentally ill individuals to effective treatment programs. The key to the program is technology. The initiative […]
Court Times. Compiled By: Amanda R. Wishin | Research Attorney, Indiana Office of Court Services
New immunities Community corrections officers and probation officers who administer an overdose intervention drug. S.E.A. 13, P.L. 4. A guardian ad litem program and court appointed special advocate program when a child is placed on a waiting list for guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate services. S.E.A. 135, P.L. 120. Fire department that […]
Community Solutions: United to Combat the Opioid Epidemic Register for the 2018 Public Safety + Public Health Opioid Conference being held on Tuesday, August 14th at 502 East Event Centre in Carmel, IN. Cost: $25 Objective The goal of this conference is to showcase how Public Safety and Public Health are strategic partners in the […]
Nominations are being accepted until August 6, 2018 for three awards presented during our Fall Conference in French Lick. The Founder’s Award is a way of recognizing individuals who have significantly contributed to the field of probation in general, and specifically to the POPAI organization. The recipient need not be a Probation Officer or POPAI […]
MINNEAPOLIS (KARE11) – A judge’s choice to hand down probation instead of prison time to former day care provider Nataliia Karia, who pleaded guilty to attempted murder, is getting a lot of reaction. “The trauma her victims suffered is undeniable,” said Karia’s attorney Brock Hunter. “I’m sure many of them will be scarred for the […]
May 25 was a day that rocked a central Indiana community to its core. A 13-year-old student allegedly opened fire at Noblesville West Middle School, injuring a science teacher and a fellow 13-year-old classmate. Both victims survived, leaving prosecutors with only one option: to try the shooter in juvenile court. Under Indiana law, 13-year-olds cannot […]
Jane Seigel | Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Office of Judicial Administration and Jenny Bauer | Staff Attorney, Indiana Office of Court Services
Adult and Juvenile Interstate Compacts How many times has an out-of-state offender appeared in your courtroom for sentencing? Do you know what to do if the out-of-state offender is to be sentenced for a felony? Consider the following example: an offender from Illinois appears in your Court for sentencing on a
