Indiana Program to get Offenders Treatment not Prison Cell

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The Elkhart Truth on 11/08/2015 by Rick Callahan

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s first statewide program that pays for addiction and mental health treatment for convicted felons sent to community corrections instead of jail or prison is now underway in a push that’s targeting uninsured offenders.

Courts, probation and parole officers and community correction managers on could begin referring eligible felons on Nov. 1 to designated drug and mental health treatment centers instead of to jail or prison.

Family and Social Services Administration spokeswoman Marni Lemons said it’s too early to know how many were referred since the initiative began or how many will eventually take part, but it’s expected to number in the thousands.

The new initiative, called Recovery Works, follows sweeping changes to Indiana’s criminal code which took effect last year that are sending more low-level, nonviolent felony criminals to community corrections and jails.