As every state surrounding Idaho legalized marijuana, state Rep. Bruce Skaug started to view it as inevitable that the Gem State would follow suit. Not anymore. Skaug, a Republican, supported two bills this legislative session taking aim at marijuana use: one to...
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...
Congratulations to Greg Werich, Wells County Chief Probation Officer as this year’s recipient of the Order of Augustus at the Indiana Justice Services Conference. The Order of Augustus is an honorary award presented annually by the Probation Officers Advisory Board of...
Every year 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...
As the former sheriff of Knox County, the executive director of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, and a law enforcement professional with more than 20 years of experience, I have dedicated my career to protecting Hoosier families. I’m increasingly concerned about...
Firearm-related deaths among children and teenagers in the United States have risen sharply in recent years, increasing by 50% since 2019. In 2023, firearms remained the leading cause of death among American youth for the third year in a row, followed by motor vehicle...
Indy Politics speaks with Tippecanoe County Sheriff Robert Goldsmith who says the state needs to invest more in mental health treatment and relieve the pressure on the current system. Read (and listen to) the Source Article
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — To commemorate Black Balloon Day, an Indianapolis nonprofit is launching an online resource for drug education and harm prevention. Black Balloon Day is a national campaign to remember people who’ve died from a drug overdose. It started in 2016...
Hoosier teens are nearly 3% more likely to have used cocaine, methamphetamines or heroin than other teens nationwide, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, and the types of drugs they choose are producing deadly side effects. Indianapolis-based...
[POPAI note: this bill was signed by the Governor on 4/10/2025] The types of diplomas accepted by public employers and institutions could be altered by House Bill 1348 by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola. The bill, which currently sits in the Senate Education and...
POPAI is seeking proposals for sessions/workshops that present best practices in service delivery, collaboration and justice programming that enhance outcomes for participants in the field of probation. POPAI is actively seeking proposals in the area of:...
Thank you to POPAI Members who submitted applications for the Donald “Charley” Knepple Scholarship. A winner has been selected by the Awards Committee and will be notified directly. The winner will be announced in the opening session of the Justice Services Conference...
February 26, 2025 — If you’re searching for greatness and untapped potential from your staff, take time to understand their “why.” Knowing that “why” helps you align opportunities and create connections for staff in places where...
Human trafficking affects people in our state and right here in our own community. Advocates say it’s a problem that isn’t talked about enough. Not because people don’t care, but because people don’t know it’s happening here. Read the...
Mental health inequities may not only harm individuals but also hinder economic prosperity.1 To gain a broader understanding of the costs associated with mental health inequities in the United States, the Deloitte Health Equity Institute and the School of Global...
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Today the U.S. Sentencing Commission released a new study of Overdoses in Federal Drug Trafficking Crimes covering a five-year period from fiscal year 2019 to 2023. Key takeaways from the Commission’s report: Prevalence and Outcomes Overdoses were...
In less than a year, Max Meckes has opened five sober living homes and a headquarters in Bloomington. Taxpayer money and donations from non-profits have helped sustain the operation, called Malibu House. Malibu House’s Facebook page describes obtaining food, beds,...
Improvements are on the way for Indiana’s Adult Protective Services — the initiative protecting abused, exploited and neglected adults — after a 12-0 committee vote Monday morning. Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, told committee members that the “clean-up” bill removes...
Update 03-03-2025: 2025 Donald “Charley” Knepple Scholarship Enters the Judging Phase The POPAI Donald “Charley” Knepple Memorial Scholarship ($2,500) application period ended at 12:00 noon EST on Monday, March 3, 2025. The committee is now deliberating...
After years of dedicated service, District 6 Representative Albert Arnold has resigned to pursue a new career path. The POPAI Board now invites interested and qualified candidates to apply for the District 6 representative position by completing the Intent to Run form...
Although Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has been in office for just two weeks, he’s already touting “wins” for Hoosiers accomplished under his tenure — and has big plans for the ongoing legislative session. Read the Source Article
On January 29, 2025, Hon. Loretta Rush, Chief Justice of Indiana, addressed the Governor and a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly for her eleventh annual State of the Judiciary address. Read the speech below. Read the Source Article
Delivering her 11th State of the Judiciary speech to the Indiana legislature Wednesday, Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush highlighted programs, people and legislation that the courts have used to innovate the judicial system in the state. Read the...
The Court Alcohol and Drug Program Advisory Committee recommends amendments to the Rules for Court-Administered Alcohol and Drug Programs to clarify or simplify the certification expectations in several rules. Submit comments by Monday, March 3 at 12:00 p.m....
Applications are open for 2026 pretrial services grants and problem-solving court grants. See more information about eCivis, the grant management system being used. Applications are due by Saturday, April 12 at 6:00 p.m. (Eastern). Contactiocsgrants@courts.in.gov with...
Marijuana, and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels that make someone feel high, is legal for recreational purposes in three of Indiana’s four neighboring states. But figuring out when someone is too high to drive has proven to be a difficult task. Read the Source...
The Indiana Department of Correction has run out of money to pay county jails for holding low-level felons and state prisoners. County jails haven’t received payments in months, and there are still four months left in the July-to-June fiscal year. Read the Source...
POPAI is tracking key bills from the 2025 Legislative Session that impact Probation and Community Corrections Professionals. Updates, curated by the POPAI Board, are posted regularly on this page.
Updated 02-14-2025 Applications for the 2025 Knepple Scholarship are available for download on this page. The recipient will receive $2,500 to support their Master’s or Doctorate studies. The scholarship will be awarded at the Justice Services Conference, April 15-17,...
The Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC), in collaboration with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and NAPE, conducted interviews with community corrections executives across the nation to determine how fees drive agency budgets. The project highlights the...
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has partnered with Rulo Strategies to create a Community Corrections Workplace Wellness Assessment. Agencies interested in participating in the assessment can submit a request for technical assistance and receive support at...
Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced James K. Snyder and Tara Y. Melton have been appointed to the Marion County Superior Courts. Read the Source Article
Fractured ribs, head injuries, accidental drownings and gunshot wounds. This is a glimpse at how 56 children died from abuse and neglect in 2023. Read the Source Article
State data known as Weighted Caseload Measures compiled by the state’s Office of Judicial Administration indicates Allen County needs six more judges, practically across the board. Read the Source Article
In one weekend, a homeowner’s sense of security is shattered by a burglary. A child finds the courage to come forward about sexual abuse. A family loses a loved one in a drunk-driving crash. These heartbreaking events are a reality in communities across Indiana, and...
Phil Chalmers is a Criminal Profiler, True Crime Writer, and the host of the podcast “Where the Bodies are Buried”. He’ll open our annual conference on 9/3/2025. You won’t want to miss it!
Any POPAI Member may attend a POPAI Board Meeting. This is the 2025 schedule: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 Wednesday, February 12, 2025 Thursday, March 13, 2025 Wednesday, April 9, 2025 Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Wednesday, July 9, 2025...
Most local governments haven’t started spending their opioid settlement dollars, according to a state report presented on Thursday. Read the Source Article
The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee met on Monday, October 28, 2024, andTuesday, October 29, 2024, and selected six nominees for two vacancies on the MarionSuperior Court due to the retirements of two judges. Read the Source Article
The Beyond Substance podcast deepens the understanding of its listeners about substance use in Marion County, specifically the problems and solutions to address these issues and to highlight that there is hope and share what can be done to foster and support recovery...
A comprehensive study shows the number of judges in the state basically meets the level of need compared to the state’s caseload. The extensive analysis is known as the Weighted Caseload Study. It’s conducted to provide an evaluation of judicial workload and resource...
After a unanimous vote in favor of the Guardian ad Litem Guidelines by the Judicial Conference Board of Directors on September 18, the Supreme Court adopted the GAL Guidelines for Civil Family Law Cases effective January 1, 2025. The guidelines are designed to bring...
A few weeks ago, Indiana voters cast ballots that included at least a few — and in Marion County, several pages of — judicial candidates. Judicial races are usually unopposed and uneventful, but this year was a little different. I offer five takeaways. Read the Source...
Preparing to return home from prison presents many challenges for women.CEPP’s National Resource Center on Justice-Involved Women created a comprehensive resource guide to help women addressthe significant barriers to successful reintegration across key reentry...
A juvenile problem-solving court cannot order jail time or house arrest for the parent of a juvenile delinquent without providing written notice of the allegations or the assistance of counsel. Read the Source Article
Certified peer support professionals play an important role in Indiana’s substance use recovery infrastructure. Indiana is covering the training and certification costs for these professionals in an effort to build the peer support workforce. Read the Source...
All federal courts have put in place an effective dispute resolution plan giving employees multiple pathways to report and address workplace concerns, and an increasing number of them are opting to use the new processes, according to the first Annual Report on the...
Impaired driving is one of the most serious threats to public safety in the United States, and the problem of polysubstance use and increased drug-impaired driving is a growing concern we must address. December is Impaired Driving Prevention Month and a crucial...
The Treatment Court Institute’s Practitioner Training is designed exclusively for treatment court team members that serve as court coordinators. This four day in-person training offers an in-depth education on your role in treatment courts facilitated by...
Gov.-elect Mike Braun announced on Monday that he will appoint Jennifer-Ruth Green as Indiana’s Secretary of Public Safety. Green, a combat veteran and current Deputy Commander of the 11th Operations Group at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, brings military and cyber...
After 30 years of research and progress in the field, community supervision agencies are well-versed in evidence-based practices (EBP). What is often overlooked or more difficult to do, however, is ensuring the fidelity of those practices—not just using them, but...
M.S. appeals his adjudication as a delinquent child for dangerous possession of a firearm, a Class A misdemeanor. Specifically, M.S. claims that the adjudication must be set aside because the State failed to prove an alleged element of the offense, i.e., that he was...
The CSG Justice Center and the U.S Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance are accepting applications from supervision agencies to participate in the Smart Supervision Resident Analyst (SSRA) program, which will embed an...
Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center Caring Recovery Opioid Treatment Program today. The new facility, located in the Twin Aire neighborhood, offers expanded space and...
POPAI will be transitioning from a weekly to a monthly email digest starting this month. We’ll still be sharing articles and news added to the website, but deliver it to you on the last day of each month instead of weekly and the subject line will change to...
The POPAI Board welcomed Ryan Hull, new Probation Officer Advisory Board Representative to POPAI. Director C.J. Miller of Hamilton County was named as POPAI Life Member. Management Institute planning includes a visit to Terre Haute Resort and Casino. Phil Chalmers has...
FORT WAYNE — According to Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, the COVID-19 pandemic brought some good along with the bad when it came to increasing public understanding of the importance of mental health. “I thought, we’ve got to continue this conversation. We’ve got to continue...
Conflict Resolution: How to Interrupt Cycles of Community Violence During this video, hear from Terrance Staley as he speaks about community violence intervention, and specifically, how the Alliance of Concerned Men in Washington, D.C., is working to prevent and...
The National Judicial Task Force examined State Courts’ response to mental illness and published a report and recommendations with over 100 resources. Here are a few: Deflection for Veterans at Veterans Sequential Intercept Model Intercepts 0 and 1 The Perils of...
Our understanding of recovery, particularly from substance use and mental health disorders, is continuously evolving as research offers new insights into the risks and protective factors that impact the recovery process. This volume of the Journal for Advancing...
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) collaborated with the National Association of Probation Executives (NAPE) and the Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC) to understand the impact community supervision fees have on agencies across the country. Many community...
The National Institute of Corrections has developed a microsite that offers information and resources to support veterans in the criminal justice system. Visit the site
Since 2016, the Massachusetts Probation Service has worked to increase diversity within its ranks. Pamerson Ifill, who was recently promoted to become the first Black commissioner of probation, leads these efforts. Diversity within the agency has steadily grown under...
Indiana prison staffers, the condemned man’s friends and family members, and the victims’ family members may witness the state’s first execution since 2009. It’s likely that no independent witnesses will be included. Joseph Corcoran, who killed four people in...
PENDLETON, Ind. (WPTA) – GRAMMY Award-winning artist Jelly Roll took time before his Indianapolis show Thursday to visit with teens and inmates at IDOC Pendleton facilities, sharing words of hope and encouragement. The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC)...
Our new membership year begins in January. Departments can request invoices now or receive them in January for those who typically pay together. Membership Options: Probation Officer Membership – $30Available to certified Probation Officers currently employed in...
The Indiana Rules of Court have been published on the courts.in.gov website for more than twenty years in the same format, with the same method of storing and publishing this important content. In May, the Office of Judicial Administration launched a new...
As the community supervision field continues to evolve, focus has turned away from managing failure toward promoting success. In doing so, it is important to consider the language that practitioners use in daily operations so that written and verbal communications are...
Last week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast featured Chris Gahl, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Visit Indy, unpacking the strategy for promoting Indianapolis to a worldwide audience during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. As promised, we have a follow-up...
Curating all of APPR’s pretrial justice video content in one place makes sharing with system stakeholders, policymakers, and community members easier. Subscribe to the channel to receive alerts when more videos are released over the next few months. View the...
More than 25 million Americans have lost Medicaid coverage since the expiration of federal COVID-19 pandemic protections. For those in opioid addiction treatment, a loss of coverage can be deadly. CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — It was hard enough for Stephanie to get methadone...
The POPAI Membership Year is January through December. Many departments prefer to pay in January or during conference attendance next year, but some want to use 2024 funds now. I’m reaching out to department Administrators, Chiefs, and Directors that typically request...
As part of the 2025 budgeting process, Wayne County Council received a request that probation officers reduce their weekly hours to 37.5 while maintaining the same wages. Kory George, the county’s chief probation officer, presented information during the Oct. 2...
Cass County’s Monthly Jail Analysis was used as an example in the APPR Guide to Jail Population Review Programs. Resources in this guide: Cass County Jail Analysis Sample Jail Population Review Pre-Meeting Questions Jail Population Review Program Large Urban...
April commemorates Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness about the barriers facing almost 80 million Americans who live with some type of criminal record. For most formerly incarcerated individuals, transitioning back into our communities is a complicated...
People with developmental disabilities face many challenges. A brush with the criminal justice system can make life much more complicated. One unit at the Cuyahoga Board of Developmental Disabilities is working to help them navigate the system. Antonio Boone remembers...
This publication is designed to be a guide to help the reader understand and identify the current medications that teens are misusing. It is not all-inclusive; not every dosage unit or generic form of the medications can be listed due to space constraints and the...
On April 30, 2024, the Commission delivered guideline amendments to Congress for its 180-day review period. The 2024 amendments are slated to take effect on November 1, 2024 absent congressional action to the contrary. Learn more about the...
INDIANAPOLIS — Traces of a potent anesthetic have been detected in illicit drugs on the streets of Indianapolis, prompting health officials to raise the alarm. Medetomidine, a powerful animal tranquilizer, has emerged as one of the latest substances found mixed with...
“Listening to the experts and community residents is how we create common-sense laws that are fair to everyone,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This task force will show us how folks struggling with mental illness or addiction interact with our criminal justice system...
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Fort Wayne Police held a press conference Wednesday morning led by Captain Kevin Hunter of the Vice and Narcotics unit. They highlighted a decrease in overdose deaths in Fort Wayne thanks to the work of the Hope and Recovery (HART) team and...
In a packed state school board meeting on Wednesday, teachers from across the state shared their frustration and anger with the Indiana Department of Education’s rollout of new requirements for early literacy training, which they say place too many burdens on...
May was Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance started in 1949 by Mental Health America to bring attention to the importance of mental wellbeing. Across the country, individuals and organizations step up to raise awareness of and help address the...
Law enforcement seizures of illicit fentanyl increased dramatically in number and size between 2017 to 2023 in the U.S., especially in pill form, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The...
Two teenage boys caused damage to a Costco in Hendricks County, Indiana, by lighting a firework and tossing it into a trash can, starting a fire. The two avoided probation but got slapped with an order to pay $28,750.50 in restitution. Attorney Audrey Lunsford...
According to the Marion County Probation Department, 726 young people were sent to juvenile detention. In 2022, that number was just below 600. INDIANAPOLIS — Firearms – from handguns to semi-automatic rifles – were found in the possession of teenagers last year....
In 2020, the United States experienced one of its most dangerous years in decades. The number of murders across the country surged by nearly 30% between 2019 and 2020, according to FBI statistics. The overall violent crime rate, which includes murder, assault,...
Recent actions coming from the nation’s highest court may leave many corporations wondering whether their efforts at improving diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) in their workplace will be undone Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively prevented...
The explosion on the scene of advanced AI chatbots opens a new path to using this technology to help more citizens achieve the access to justice they need to meet their legal needs OpenAI’s GPT-3’s recent explosion onto the tech scene has shaken the legal industry to...
Six months ago, David Magura, the court administrator for Youngstown Municipal Court, was walking into work when he heard three police officers talking about the city’s new pretrial program. The officers opined that the changes would lead to mass releases, endangering...
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoosier households have experienced unexpected impacts on their personal and financial journeys. However, one Indiana organization is helping to lift the burden of these economic challenges. For those living within Monroe,...
INDIANAPOLIS — Police will begin enforcing the state’s curfew law for minors in response to increasing violence among youth in the city. “Our residents deserve better, our children deserve better and a small number of our children need to be better,” said...
The Community Supervision Resource Center (CSRC) is pleased to announce that they are now accepting applications for short-term free technical assistance designed to help probation agencies enhance staff recruitment, retention, and well-being. This competitive...
Effective communication is critical in any setting, but it becomes even more significant within the context of the criminal justice system, where people’s lives and futures are at stake Editor’s note: This feature is part of Corrections1’s digital edition, “Advancing...
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s new chief rounded out his command staff. […] Part of IMPD’s efforts to modernize and change with the times, the Operations Support Bureau will oversee various units, including the Mobile Crisis...
NIH-supported analysis finds just seven states had a facility that accepted Medicaid, had a bed open the same day, and offered buprenorphine Access to residential addiction treatment centers caring for U.S. adolescents under 18 years old in the United States is...
In a landmark split ruling, Massachusetts’ highest court declared it unconstitutional for judges to sentence anyone under the age of 21 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The closely watched case is believed to make Massachusetts the first...
How artificial intelligence can be used to enhance the recruitment and acquisition of top talent in the legal profession is a question that corporate law departments need to study In a rapidly evolving legal landscape, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for general...
New data show relatively low use of illicit substances, yet overdose death rates among teens have risen in recent years The percentage of adolescents reporting they used any illicit substances in 2023 continued to hold steady below the pre-pandemic levels reported in...
A probation officer’s credibility is judged by the quality of their field visit documentation “You will never know the value of good chronological documentation until you don’t have it.” I emphasize this in every field/home visit safety class I conduct. Probation...
But many probation agencies lack specialized training or tools to supervise them effectively Overview Adults on probation—supervision imposed by the court generally in lieu of incarceration—are more than twice as likely to have a serious or moderate mental illness as...
More than 50 million Americans live with mental illness, but less than half of them seek treatment. For many untreated individuals, getting to a mental health professional is inconvenient or too costly. For others, the idea of sitting in a strange room, talking...
Learn more about how to leverage opioid settlement money. Watch an Association of Indiana Counties conversation (YouTube) with Justice Christopher Goff that highlights work in Boone, Cass, Dearborn, Daviess, and Floyd counties.
Oregon voters passed the most liberal drug law in the country in November 2020, decriminalizing possession for small amounts of hard drugs. Under Ballot Measure 110, instead of arresting drug users, police now give them a citation and point them towards...
Here’s a quick way to report member account changes directly to us. We’ve included newsletter subscription recently! Information Changes and Newsletter Subscription
An $80,000 grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute helps fund the countywide partnership. CLARK COUNTY, Ind. — Clark County, Indiana, is taking a new approach to handling youth offenses: focusing on diversion over detention. Judge Vicki Carmichael signed an...
As a trial court judge in Tippecanoe County for 13 years and now as chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, Loretta Rush continues to see Hoosiers caught in the revolving door—they have a mental health crisis, get arrested, become incarcerated, get released, and...
Easthampton, Mass. — A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative provides one of the most comprehensive 50-state compilations of “standard” conditions of probation to date, shining a light on the burdensome rules that govern the lives of nearly 3 million people and...
The October 2024 Juvenile Justice Bulletin includes information and resources about Crime Prevention Awareness Month and World Mental Health Awareness Month, a profile of UnChained, a California nonprofit that unites at-risk youth with homeless dogs in a purposeful...
Bernard Groves has spent five years trying to quit methamphetamine. He lost his job. He lost his car. He nearly lost his apartment. Worse than that, he says, his addiction has hurt his family. “I went [to lunch] with my auntie and I saw such sadness in her eyes,”...
The CSRC Community is an online forum for and open only to those who work for a community supervision (pretrial, probation, or parole/post-release) agency or organization. You must register to participate in the Community. The CSRC Community is not open to reporters...
For the past several years, the POPAI Executive Board has been advocating for increases to the Minimum Salary Schedule for Probation Officers. You can read the most recent version of our proposal here. Many of you know, our proposal gained favor with a...
In recent years, many cities, towns, and counties across the country have experienced substantial increases in community gun violence. While some localities have made progress in reducing violence, pressing concerns remain for residents, community and business...
Anthony Williams has been successfully coordinating our conferences for the past 4 years. He recently promoted to Deputy Chief Probation Officer in the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department and decided to run for POPAI Board Secretary, which he won. Shannon...
People who experience homelessness tend to have frequent (and often repeat) interactions with law enforcement. A key driver of these interactions is the prevalence of unmet behavioral health needs. PMHCs are well situated to intervene in these situations and help...
U.S. probation and pretrial officers must balance two very important goals: protecting public safety and helping people they oversee make positive changes in their lives. In recognition of National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision (PPPS) Week, a new video...
Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today that he has selected Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer as the next member of the Indiana Court of Appeals. Judge DeBoer will replace retiring Judge Patricia Riley. “Judge DeBoer is a person of immense integrity,...
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,...
On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Deborah Kesler, Juvenile Chief Probation Officer from Vigo County was presented the Founder’s Award.The Founder’s Award was established in 2014...
On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Cherie Epley, Chief Probation Officer of Vanderburgh County Adult Probation, was awarded the “Founder’s Award”. The “Founder’s Award” is a way...
On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Michelle Murfin, of the Hamilton County Department of Probation Services, was awarded the “Rookie Probation Officer of the Year Award”. This...
On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Stephanie Eddy, of the Wells County Probation Department, was presented the “Line Probation Officer of the Year Award.” The Line Probation...
On September 6, 2024 just after the closing of the POPAI Fall Conference, the following new and returning Board Members held their first meeting of the new term: Angela Morris, President Lindsey Villalpando, Vice-President Andria Geigle, Treasurer Anthony Williams,...
Human remains found in 1993 near I-65 (what is now Otte Golf Course) in Greenwood have been positively identified following months of DNA and genealogy work by the Johnson County Coroner’s Office. Significant progress was made with the help of Greenwood PD, the...
Per LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL RESOLUTION 24-01 (May 14, 2024), the CORRECTIONS AND CRIMINAL CODE Interim Study Committee was charged with studying the following topics: (A) Multi-year review current trends with respect to criminal behavior, sentencing,...
We hope all who attended the POPAI Fall Conference had a great time and returned home safely. At the Annual Meeting the following individuals were presented with awards: Cherie Epley, Chief Probation Officer of Vanderburgh County Adult Probation, Founder’s Award...
Effective January 1, 2020, Administrative Rule 19 was amended to require that the courts of each county work together to draft a single court security plan that includes a continuity of operations plan. Court Security Committee Chair Magistrate Jason Reyome: “You...
The first conversation DeCaree Lewis had about a gun was with his mother, Latavia. He remembers it as more of a lecture. And even at 10 years old, he said he wasn’t scared — it felt like a normal part of his environment. “This is my gun,” his mother told him. “Don’t...
On Wednesday, August 21, the Judicial Nominating Commission unanimously voted to reappoint Loretta Rush as Chief Justice of Indiana. The four other justices—Mark Massa, Geoffrey Slaughter, Christopher Goff, and Derek Molter—shared thoughts with the Commission,...
The Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department has announced the availability of free fall programming for parents, caregivers, and youth in collaboration with People and Animal Learning Services (PALS). This initiative is designed to support the well-being of families...
New Report and Upcoming Webinar In June, the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center published a new report, “Mind Matters: Building a Justice System That Is Inclusive and Responsive to Brain Injury.” This report includes input from All...
ROCHESTER — Daulton Conley had been battling drug addiction for some time. He was accepted into Fulton County Drug Court where he struggled with the program at first, but said after awhile he realized: “I’ve got an opportunity here to change my life.” “It really...
CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance wrote: “Probation is by far the largest form of correctional control in the United States, and a leading cause of incarceration. Despite the widespread use of probation as a method of correctional control,...
The judicial branch is pleased to welcome Catheryne Pully who has been named to lead the Indiana Office of Court Services. Pully is currently the Director of Outreach and Career Enrichment at the Indiana State Bar Association. A University of Tennessee graduate with a...
Mental Health America (MHA) released its annual State of Mental Health in America report, which ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 15 mental health access and prevalence measures. Download the 2024 State of Mental Health in America...
“Recently, Crawfordsville Schools launched the Athens Virtual Academy of Indiana (AVA) for middle and high school aged students. After 18 years in traditional administration, I have been asked to direct the AVA – which I am truly excited about! ...
INDIANAPOLIS — A deadly device that turns a handgun into a machine gun is being found across Indianapolis streets at an alarming rate for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Cases involving “glock switches” increased by 236% last year, according...
Indiana Probation Officer Hannah Cochran (Dossett), a dedicated local resident of Crawfordsville, Indiana, was recently elected to the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) Board of Directors as the Region 2 Representative. She was sworn in at the closing...
A new Johnson County Court Services building is a little closer to reality following a key vote Monday night. The Johnson County Council voted 6-0, with member John Ditmars abstaining, to approve issuing a local income tax bond Monday for a 73,000-square-foot building...
The pretrial process rarely provides anyone—especially Black and Brown women and gender-diverse people—the opportunity to share their stories and unique circumstances or to advocate for their needs. The system also does a poor job of explaining the pretrial process to...
APPA released a comprehensive document last week at the conference. “National Standards for Community Supervision serves as a guide for ensuring high-quality practices and outcomes in the field. These standards provide a framework for probation and parole...
Everywhere you look, participants and observers alike want to know more about the Courts. From the local level all the way to the United States Supreme Court, the Courts can be hard to understand and even harder to follow. Allen County has launched INSession, a...
The Swift Certain Fair Resource Center is offering an opportunity for SCF microgrants. Do you have an idea to improve community supervision in your area? Public agencies and nonprofit organizations are eligible, for grants up to $150,000. The application process is...
Supreme Court annual report shows these programs continue to lower recidivism, unemployment rates across Michigan LANSING, MI, May 17, 2024 – Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra H. Bolden was joined today by judges and military veterans in announcing the...
Chief Probation Officer Kevin Elkins of Lake County Juvenile Probation received the 2024 Order of Augustus award from Chief Justice Loretta Rush. The Order of Augustus is an annual award presented by the Indiana Probation Officers Advisory Board to an Indiana...
Many probation officers were recognized by Chief Justice Loretta Rush for their commitment to the profession of probation and their long-time service at the annual justice services conference. Kevin Elkins, Chief Probation Officer for Lake County Juvenile, was named...
Agent Davis Martinez was murdered while conducting a home visit on a convicted sex offender in the 2800 block of Terrace Drive in Chevy Chase. Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department went to check on Agent Martinez after he failed to return to his...
Attorney General Todd Rokita is dispensing more than $8.8 million to Indiana cities, towns and counties in the next round of opioid settlement funds distributed under his leadership. Attorney General Rokita and his team secured these settlements from companies...
In 2022, the Indiana General Assembly adopted H.E.A. 1359, creating the Youth Justice Oversight Committee (YJOC) tasked with comprehensive juvenile justice system reform. Chief Justice Loretta Rush appointed Justice Steven David (ret.) as YJOC chair and other youth...
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Local leaders have wanted to construct a juvenile detention facility in Tippecanoe County for years, and on Monday, the Tippecanoe County Commissioners approved its development. The juvenile detention center will either be a 15,665- or...
POPAI Vice President Lindsey Villalpando presents Brenda Matute with a plaque to commemorate her as POPAI’s 2024 Knepple Scholarship Winner. Vice President Lindsey Villalpando presented Brenda Matute from LaPorte County with a plaque acknowledging her winning...
The Marion County Juvenile Detention Center is located right in the middle of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. It saw more kids admitted in 2023 compared to 2022 according to the Marion County Probation Department. Chief Probation Officer, Christine...
Dr. Brian Lovins is a Principal at JSP. He earned his PhD in Criminology from the University of Cincinnati, and he is the Immediate past-President for the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). Prior to JSP, Dr. Lovins worked for Harris County Community...
Research and practitioners’ experiences provide insight into building capacity for working with violent extremists and meeting their specialized needs. The United States has experienced a significant increase in individuals who have radicalized to crime and violence...
A new website, managed by the Center for Effective Public Policy and funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance supports research-based and data-driven community supervision approaches that achieve safety, success, and equity for justice-system agencies, the people...
NCSC has launched a new explainer video series to help the public understand complex legal processes and feel more confident navigating the court system. The video series aims to demystify complex legal terminology and provide information about court processes, which...
Rose v. State, No. 23A-CR-2139, __N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Apr. 8, 2024) A sex or violent offender must register, among other things, their username for any “social networking web site.” A website is a “social networking web site” if, among other things, it “provides...
IOCS will soon begin a phased roll out of the Indiana Judicial Branch Education Network, replacing the Indiana Courts Education Network for hosting online learning. See roll out schedule and more info. Read the Source Article
After our branding was finished, we worked to make a new container for our website content. We know members want quick access to job posts, conference information, and legislative updates so the home page now features all those links in the first large block of...
Johnson County crisis intervention deputies Jim Engemark, Shannon Chambers and Chad Poytner pose for a photo inside the Indiana Statehouse in 2023. The deputies were at the Statehouse as part of legislator meet and greet for National Alliance for Mental Illness...
The United States Sentencing Commission (“the Commission”) was created by the Sentencing Reform Act provisions of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. The Commission is an independent agency in the Judicial Branch of the federal government, with statutory...
ANGOLA — If everybody walked on water justice wouldn’t even be a word but when the punishment fits the crime, criminal offenses seldom get repeated. Steuben County’s Teen Court, sponsored by the state’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, provides a jury of...
Learn more about how to leverage opioid settlement money. Watch an Association of Indiana Counties conversation with Justice Christopher Goff that highlights work in Boone, Cass, Dearborn, Daviess, and Floyd counties.
Ivy Tech Madison was selected by the IDOC to offer adult education and vocational services at Indiana’s 15 adult correctional facilities across the state. INDIANAPOLIS – Ivy Tech Community College today announced the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) has...
A message from the CEO: Following an exhaustive national search, I am pleased to announce that Indiana Office of Court Services Executive Director Mary Kay Hudson has accepted the position of All Rise Chief Operating Officer and will join the team in April. Mary Kay...
Recovery at Work Video Series Goal: This video series aims to assist in increased access, how to navigate resources to gain and maintain employment for individuals in recovery and/or with justice involvement. Additionally, employers will receive education on how...
The Youth division administers federal funds under Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act overseen by Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and state funds under IN House Bill 1359. These funding streams are reliant on Indiana staying in...
IN– Robert V. Chamness, age 72, of Richmond, Indiana, died Sunday, March 3, 2024, at Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis. Born September 27, 1951, in Richmond, Indiana, to Robert Verlin and Esther Mae Farr Chamness, Bob lived all of his life in this...
2022-2023 was a pivotal time for Indiana’s children as we emerged from the global pandemic with many lessons learned and a better understanding than ever of their needs. While many understandably sought a “return to normal,” the Hoosier state also saw opportunities to...
A new problem-solving court for veterans charged in Johnson County courts will hold its first session in January. The court will help veterans address and recover from the underlying issues that influenced them to commit crimes. Johnson County is launching a veteran’s...
The Allen County Juvenile Detention Center has partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Indiana, the Jim Kelly Career Pathways Center and a virtual reality company called Transfr. Officials said this partnership is meant to reduce recidivism rates among...
AUBURN — The DeKalb County Commissioners [in December] approved a new probation officer position to serve the DeKalb County Addictions Treatment Court. Assistant chief probation officer Ryan Hull told the commissioners the department has received a grant from the...
The Indiana Pregnancy Promise (Promoting Recovery from Opioid use, Maternal Infant Support and Engagement) Program has released their 2nd annual report. Contact IPPP through their website for assistance in connecting clients with free services in your area. ...
The statutory cash bail agreement permits application of cash bail to the whole of a defendant’s public-defender costs. However, a court may retain cash bail to pay most other fines, costs, and fees only after considering the defendant’s ability to pay. Read the...
The POPAI Logo has a rich history and meaning. The image we’ve been using was based on these principles: Words Around the Outside: A Probation Officer keeps the balance of needs of the community and needs of the individual in mind Key: Freedom Torch:...
ATM-like machines let probationers check in without face-to-face meetings. INDIANAPOLIS — There’s a white machine in lobby near the entrance to the Community Justice Center that quietly does the work of a probation officer. It is a probation kiosk. Marion County...
Country singer Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord testified at a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the awareness and legislative solutions to stop the illegal smuggling of fentanyl into the U.S. 13:10
When Troy Malone’s three year correctional sentence was up in 2003, he was certain of one thing: The life that led him there was not the life he wanted to live. “You’ll see what life is really about when your kids are crying and have to come visit you in a glass,” he...
AUBURN — The DeKalb County Commissioners Monday approved a new probation officer position to serve the DeKalb County Addictions Treatment Court. Assistant chief probation officer Ryan Hull told the commissioners the department has received a grant from the Indiana...
A St. Joseph County Probate Court diversion program for low-risk juveniles seems to be making a difference. According to numbers from the Court the SNaP Program has an 87-percent success rate. Read More
Indiana Courts’ Return on Investment On January 10, 2024, Chief Justice Loretta Rush addressed the Governor and a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly for her tenth annual State of the Judiciary address. Read the text of the address...
A report from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics reveals new information about the more than 663,000 people held in custody in local jails across the country as of the first six months of 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, local jails and...
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024: The Judicial Conference Board of Directors approved amendments to the Probation Standards effective January 1, 2024. The amendments add provisions on reporting probation officer sexual misconduct and other unethical conduct for review of...
It has been nearly a decade since the last comprehensive caseload study in Indiana’s trial courts. In collaboration with the Judicial Administration Committee, the Indiana Supreme Court is gearing up for a four-week caseload time study in 2024. This is a move that...
INDIANAPOLIS — Food and hygiene products are often necessities that people coming out of jail do not have. “If I was sitting on a case load of 60, I would say 10 to 15 of my clients were needing something,” Aldon Johnson, Case Manager at Marion County Community...
POPAI extends sympathy to everyone in Allen County Probation after learning Juvenile Probation Officer Dustin Brown died in November. Dustin Dwight Brown, 39, of Fort Wayne, passed away on November 18, 2023, at Lutheran Hospital Southwest. He was born on June 6, 1984...
In April of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a letter to our state and local colleagues addressing the assessment of fines and fees against both juveniles and adults. The letter clarified the constitutional and statutory framework governing the...
Staffing levels for family case managers meet 99 percent of the need statewide, according to the annual staffing and caseload report from the Department of Child Services (DCS), but some areas of the state face a greater need than others. “Some of the most integral...
“I love 988,” chief justice says The criminal justice system is the primary referrer to substance use disorder treatment and largest provider of mental health care — but the judiciary is doing its part to change that, Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush...
MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Minnesota-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) (a long time POPAI Corporate Sponsor) announced today that the Marion Superior Court Probation Department has signed a two-year contract extension wherein PKT will provide and...
Starke County Court Services announced this week that Juvenile Probation Officer Abby Columbia and Offender Reintegration Officer Brandon Pettit received a grant to launch a pilot program. The $2,000 grant from the Northern Indiana Community Foundation will be used to...
The 60+ page Supreme Court annual report provides information about the work of the Court and its affiliated agencies during the fiscal year (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023). In addition to providing statistics on the cases considered by the Court, the report also...
An 11-year-old accused of stealing at least 16 cars. A 12-year-old shot at a football game, apparently by a teenager. Two people killed and 28 others injured at a block party in a shooting where one of the accused was just 14 years old. Violent crime has always...
The U.S. Sentencing Commission’s 2023 amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines took effect November 1 (see below for a recap of amendments). The 2023 Guidelines Manual can now be accessed online in PDF, annotated HTML, and mobile-friendly app formats....
The population of Cass County, Indiana, is 37,500. If all its residents attended an NFL game at the smallest stadium in the league, the arena would be only half full. But while it may be a small, rural community, the county answered a very big challenge around...
The juvenile justice system may be a rough time for young folks. I went to a group home, now known as short term residence therapeutic placement (S.T.R.T.P.). I was there from when I was 14 to 16. My biological mother didn’t do her parenting classes so I could go back...
On Thursday, September 21, 2023 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Vicki Cale, of the Wells County Probation Department, was presented the “Line Probation Officer of the Year Award.” The Line Probation Officer...
On Thursday, September 21, 2023 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Abigail O’ Brien, of Putnam County Probation, was awarded the “Rookie Probation Officer of the Year Award”. The Rookie Probation Officer of...
The Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) Executive Board has concerns the minimum salary schedule for probation officers has not changed since adopted in its current form on September 10, 2002 and implemented January 1, 2004. Though some...
Thank you to all the individuals who expressed interest in serving on the POPAI Board. Our newest members are: Stephanie Cole, Howard County: District 3 Representative Angela Morris, Johnson County: District 5 Representative Lindsey Villalpando, Andria Geigle, Bob...
Housing is one of our best tools for ending mass incarceration. It does more than put a roof over people’s heads; housing gives people the space and stability necessary to receive care, escape crises, and improve their quality of life. For this reason, giving people...
The mixture of stimulants like cocaine and meth with highly potent synthetic opioids is a fast-growing driver of fatal overdoses in the U.S. Since 2010, overdoses involving both stimulants and fentanyl have increased 50-fold, and now account for 32% of U.S. overdoses...
Since 1989, the National Association of Probation Executives (NAPE) and the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center at Sam Houston State University have recognized the Probation Executive of the Year by presenting the recipient the Sam Houston State University Award....
Justice and healthcare professionals in rural communities face unique challenges, including scarce resources, red tape, and isolation. We invite you to attend the Summit for Rural Justice & Public Health Professionals on Friday, October 13, at the Honeywell Center...
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A proposal to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana in Ohio was cleared Wednesday to appear on statewide ballots this fall after the Republican-led state Legislature failed to act on it. The measure would allow adults 21 and over to buy...
Unlike drug courts, which have been informed by national standards for 10 years, mental health courts (MHCs) have developed without national guidance. This January, after receiving support from The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, New Hampshire...
Leaving jail can be harder than getting into jail, but the Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support (IRACS) program may become that lifeline of support for inmates when they leave the Kosciusko County Jail and reenter society. But it’s going to take the whole...
Troy Hatfield, Deputy Chief Probation Officer for the Monroe Circuit Court, received the 2023 Order of Augustus probation award at the annual statewide Justice Services conference in Indianapolis. The Order of Augustus is an annual award presented by the Indiana...
The 2024 Probation Officer Salary Schedule reflects an increase of 7.8% We have Salary Schedule History in two parts: 2004 – Present History through 2004
GREENFIELD — A local official will make a job change, leaving the county’s probation department to fully take on a position with the fairly new program under the behavioral health courts. Hancock County Commissioners approved the request from the county’s behavioral...
The official designation of the COVID emergency is having an impact on the operation of the criminal justice system in Daviess County. After being shutdown by the pandemic, the work-release program at the Daviess County jail is opening a second pod. “Once the federal...
In the season of high school and college graduations, another smaller group celebrated a new chapter of their lives. The Harrison County Veterans Treatment Court celebrated its third graduation May 31 since its founding in October 2017, with four graduates...
In 2022, the General Assembly repealed the Juvenile Informal Adjustment Fee effective July 1, 2023. See P.L. 101-2022 (HEA 1359 sections 21 and 22). On July 1, 2023, courts can no longer order this fee, nor can a probation department collect the fee. The informal...
CLARK COUNTY — Hope filled the Clark County Magistrate Court on Wednesday afternoon. It was standing-room-only for the celebration of National Treatment Court Month and people participating in Clark County’s Family Treatment Court listened to stories from people...
The 2023 Donald “Charley” Knepple Scholarship winner is Sandra Bryan, Deputy Chief Probation Officer for Marion County Superior Court. Sandra has a been a probation officer for 27 years and a member of POPAI for most of those years. She is a current member...
This video depicts some ways the Wabash County Work Release Program has changed and enhanced the lives of three individuals. Work Release is Community Corrections program that provides intensive supervision and services for adults convicted of a non-violent felony or...
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The current Allen County Jail building sits in downtown Fort Wayne near Promenade Park and a newly constructed apartment complex. Plans are underway to build a new jail located outside the downtown area in the future and developers in the...
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The eighth and newest problem-solving court was introduced at the Allen County Courthouse on Monday. Allen Superior Court’s Family Relations Division announced it is now provisionally certified for a Family Domestic Violence Court. Heading...
An estimated 3,745,000 adults were under community supervision at yearend 2021, a 4% decline from the 3,881,600 who were supervised in the community on January 1, 2021. This decline is attributed to a reduction in both the number of persons on probation, who made up...
Susan Bentley, Chief Probation Officer for the Hendricks County Probation Department, recently graduated from the American Probation and Parole Association’s Leadership Institute during the 2023 APPA Regional Institute in Los Angeles, California. Susan was a member of...
Lake County Juvenile Probation Department, Indiana End of Watch Sunday, March 21, 1926 Chief Probation Officer Lucile Myers was shot and killed while investigating a child welfare case at a home at 417 17th Street, near the intersection of Calumet Avenue and 17th...
County officials are implementing data-driven and evidence-based policies, practices and programs to decrease jail populations, reduce associated costs and meet the social and safety needs of communities. Annually, county jails process 8 million admissions and spend...
It’s safe to say, Jami Fox knows of what she speaks. And it is for that reason that Huntington County Sheriff Chris Newton brought her on the department staff at the beginning of the year “Old jail construction was meant for small term housing,” Newton said. “We...
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Thirty one children died in Tippecanoe County between 2020 and 2022, reported a review team addressing the reasons for infant and child fatalities, noting an increase in suicide among teens and adolescents. The Tippecanoe County Local Child Fatality...
FRANKLIN, Ind. — Just a year ago, when it came time to hand down a sentence for Level 6 felonies in Indiana, judges had little say on where those sentences were served. Now, a law that went into effect last July gives courts a tool aimed at helping provide more mental...
Sallie Sue Watt Nye passed away at home on February 6, 2023 after an extended illness. She was born in Muncie on November 14, 1934 and was a life-long Hoosier. She graduated from Royerton High School in 1952. As a mother of four in the sixties, she completed her...
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Indiana Representative Maureen Bauer says there’s a gap in current Indiana laws surrounding child seduction. Specially crimes committed by coaches, she says that’s why she has authored a bill hoping to change that. Rep. Bauer says she...
Years-long plans for a new community corrections building and renovated county highway department are underway again. County officials last week approved spending $1 million from money the county has from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to start the designs of...
The White House is planning to end COVID-19 emergency declarations on May 11, 2023, marking the end of various programs including one that allowed federal prisoners to serve a portion of their prison term on home confinement. Starting in early 2020, COVID-19 changed...
Starting Jan. 17, all veterans will be able to access emergency mental health care free of charge at any Veterans Affairs medical facility or outside clinic, regardless of whether they are already enrolled in department health care services. Department officials...
Nearly a year after unifying Johnson County’s community corrections and probation departments under a single department, the benefits have already begun to materialize. Johnson County Court Services was created last March, merging Community Corrections and Probation...
It’s with a heavy heart that we report the unexpected death of Laurence Smith. From Facebook: From Dignity Memorial: Laurence was born to Robert and Mabel Smith on April 7, 1961. He graduated from Connersville High School in 1979, where he received Athlete of...
HANCOCK COUNTY – The county has started its first year in several without a guaranteed place to detain children accused of crimes. Officials have a plan to adapt to the unforeseen circumstance, but acknowledge it’s not as stable or extensive as the one they’ve had in...
Police praised the “heroic” actions of an employee and officers who responded to an active shooting at a Walmart in Indiana on Thursday that left one person injured. The gunman — whom police said was a former employee who had been banned from the...
It’s Anthony Brock’s first day of nursing school and after class, he’s visiting his probation officer Angela Rubadue for one of their usual twice-weekly meetings at the Clark County Judicial Center. Brock is working on improving his life after six operating a vehicle...
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — The Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative is entering their fifth year serving juveniles in Kosciusko County with numerous programs they plan to implement pending grant approval for 2023-2024. JDAI receives roughly $70,000 per fiscal year to use...
Indiana Courts as Engines of Economic Development, Fairness, and Public Safety On January 11, 2023, Chief Justice Loretta Rush addressed the Governor and a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly for the annual State of the Judiciary. Watch on courts.in.gov or...
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush reflected Wednesday on the progress the state court system has made as she delivered the 2023 State of the Judiciary. It was Rush’s ninth such address and she harkened back to her first speech as chief justice as she praised...
In April 2022, the Marion Circuit and Superior Courts moved to a new courthouse on the east side of Indianapolis. The project was managed by the 4-member Marion Superior Court Executive Committee and Presiding Judge Amy Jones. Judge Marc Rothenberg chaired the...
… Early in her career she was a Probation Officer with the Marion County Juvenile Court. Following, in her work at an adoption agency, she helped to arrange and create new families, and brought overwhelming joy to many as they welcomed new babies and children....
When the Court of Appeals of Indiana held a celebratory party for Judge Derek Molter, Chief Judge Cale Bradford jokingly told the room he had decided to deny the transfer! Molter is described by the Judicial Nominating Commission “as possessing a thoughtful, sharp...
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Authorities have ruled that a western Indiana police officer was justified in fatally shooting a 42-year-old man who was threatening him with a knife earlier this month.The Vigo County prosecutor announced Tuesday that a Terre Haute police officer...
POPAI Note: John Bush of Delaware County Probation is our 2022 Line Probation Officer of the Year. This is another step for the growth of the program. MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball Brothers Foundation awarded a $60,000 grant to help launch the Judicial Users Manufacturing...
HANCOCK COUNTY — The poster attached to the glass window hanging inside the inmate meeting room at the county jail was full of yellow sticky notes. The notes are attached to the “Goal Tree” poster, an inspirational reminder to inmates taking a parenting class that...
LAGRANGE — JDAI had a pretty good year, Randy Merrifield, the program’s director told members of the LaGrange County Council Monday morning. JDAI, or Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, is a program designed to help communities find alternatives to locking up...
EARL L. COVAULT JR., 90, passed on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, at home with family at his side. He was the son of the late Earl L. Covault Sr. and Lucille Saline (Johnson) Covault Salas. Earl served his country as Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army during the Korean War...
Juveniles Under Adult Court Jurisdiction Annual Report details the number of juveniles under the jurisdiction of an adult court during the state fiscal year, as per legislation enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in 2018.
Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) is an approach to developing criminal justice policies and processes at the state and local levels. It uses data and empirical research as catalysts for change. Those who have used it describe it as an “opportunity to evaluate...
The Indiana Supreme Court annual report is available online. The 65-page Supreme Court annual report provides information about the work of the Court and its affiliated agencies during the fiscal year (July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022). In addition to providing...
Follow six individuals as they navigate the winding road from incarceration across state lines to community supervision closer to home. They are transfer candidates of the Interstate Compact, a collection of regulations and rules guiding the movement of individuals...
… Muncie−Delaware County Chamber of Commerce also honored several people and organizations active in the community’s economy during its 128th annual meeting Thursday night. The Excellence in Public Service Award was presented to John Bush, Delaware County...
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb says he will not consider blanket pardons for all prior offenses of simple possession of marijuana despite President Biden’s announcement of a plan to do so on the federal level.It comes after Biden said he had instructed...
The OJJDP-funded Family-Based Justice Center has launched a website offering resources to assist OJJDP grantees and state, local, and Tribal stakeholders implementing family-based alternative sentencing programs. The website is a hub for data, research, and...
The Youth Justice Oversight Committee is recruiting people ages 18 and up with past or current involvement in the juvenile justice system to be part of a youth and family advisory group. Self-nominations as well as nominations by court and probation personnel are...
COLUMBIA CITY — For those who have to go through it, the court system can be one of the most stressful times of their lives, but there is a new member of the Whitley County team that is making it a little easier. Journey is making a name for herself as a friendly face...
The Court handed down an order amending Administrative Rule 14 to an interim rule on remote proceedings and rescinding the Court’s 5/13/2020 “Emergency Order Permitting Expanded Remote Proceedings.” You are invited to comment on the proposed changes, which are...
Proposed changes to Pretrial Services Rules are now online for your review and comment. The deadline to submit feedback is 12:00 p.m. (Eastern) on October 19.
Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana provided recent updates on their activities, including voting to support the implementation of three evidence-based violence prevention and intervention program models in Indiana and to publish their annual...
On September 8, 2022 the POPAI Membership approved the new bylaws. Summary of the major changes: Prohibits an active Executive Board member from contracting with the Association. Creates two new At-Large Board Members, which will expand the voting members of the POPAI...
On Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, John Bush, of the Delaware County Probation Department, was presented the “Line Probation Officer of the Year Award.” This award was...
On Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Tabitha Davis of Hancock County Probation, was awarded the “Rookie Probation Officer of the Year Award”. This award was established in 2014 to...
On Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Madonna Wagoner of the Hamilton County Probation Department was awarded the “Founder’s Award”. The “Founder’s Award” is a way of recognizing...
The 2022 annual report of the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana is now available. The report highlights ongoing collaboration across state government for the benefit of vulnerable youth during state fiscal year 2021-22. Contact Julie Whitman...
Assistant Chief Probation Officer Laura Rood (Howard County) has been named to “The Order of Augustus” by the Probation Officers Advisory Board. The award was announced by Chief Justice Rush at the May 4 Justice Services Conference. Laura was nominated by members of...
Nominations are open for the 2022 Michelle Tennell Indiana JDAI Champion award. Please submit a nomination form for an individual in the Indiana JDAI network who demonstrates the qualities of excellence in leadership, passion, purpose, and a genuine love for the work...
Vigo County’s Juvenile Drug Court sprung to life on June 21st with its first court date. It differs from the traditional courtroom’s adversarial model in that everyone’s on the same side, seeking to solve a problem rather than exact punishment. The Indiana Office of...
Wayne County prosecutors initially charged Phillip Lee in 2017 with six charges including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm By a Serious Violent Felon but prosecutors dismissed the firearm charge. INDIANAPOLIS —The vast majority of criminal cases in Indiana are...
According to our Bylaws in Article X, Part D: The chair of the Election Committee shall provide written notice to the membership the names of the candidates as selected by the Election Committee at least thirty (30) days in advance of the annual business meeting of...
The Indiana Lawyer allows 2 free articles per month without subscription. In what was likely one of the final times he was in a courtroom, Senior Judge Marc Kellams was not acting very judicial. Kellams wasn’t the one on the bench in Johnson County — that was Senior...
Judicial officers, court employees, probation officers, court security officers, and clerk’s office employees may register for First Amendment Auditor Training. The August 12 webinar will be from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Eastern). Course capacity is limited to 500, but this...
After 24 years as a respected Boone County probation officer, Kari Ragsdale has retired as of August 1, 2022. Her career began in February of 1992, as an administrative assistant, moving to a probation officer position in March of 1998. In 2002, Kari was appointed...
Congratulations to our winners for free registration and two nights hotel during our Fall Conference in French Lick on September 7-9, 2022! Libby Mudd – Johnson County Devon Burris – Madison County Yvonne Haub – Floyd County Community Corrections Amy...
Greetings POPAI Membership: According to the POPAI Bylaws, Article XII AMENDMENTS These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by the membership if a quorum is present at any regular or special meeting. Written notice of any proposed alteration to the bylaws...
2022 Adult and Juvenile New Legislation on-line sessions are now available. CPO’s will automatically be assigned to these optional sessions and receive email notification when they have been assigned. Staff can register for new legislation sessions at 2022 Adult New...
The Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) Executive Board has concerns the minimum salary schedule for probation officers has not changed since adopted in its current form on September 10, 2002. Though slight cost of living adjustments have...
A 25-year old man has been arrested for an overnight homicide at the Criminal Justice Center, according to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Just after 10 p.m. Sunday, IMPD was dispatched to a possible homicide investigation, police say. Charles Barron, 36,...
Millions of adults—approximately 1 in every 75 people—are under probation or parole supervision in the U.S. In most states, people on probation or parole are required to pay supervision fees that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. People also must often...
POPAI Membership is open to individuals involved in Community Corrections in Indiana. Often, people think the Associate Level is exclusively for Probation Department administrative staff or students – but there’s more. Probation Officer Membership – ($25...
ALPARAISO — Indiana Supreme Court Justice Christopher Goff spoke with Porter County police officers about the challenges they face on the job.One thing stood out: dealing with individuals’ mental health issues.Goff and others across the state are hoping to address...
Every year 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...
Police discovered 39-year-old Shane Furman’s body on the west side, near West Michigan Street and North Belmont Avenue. IMPD detectives released surveillance video footage Thursday seeking the public’s help to solve a deadly New Year’s Day shooting...
In his 36 years at Allen County Probation, Eric Zimmerman, chief probation officer, has seen the department grow from eight probation officers to 29 with a desire to change offenders’ lives for the better. “People get the idea that we wait with bated breath for...
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,...
Catherine Mosley Custer – April 14, 2022 Catherine’s life in her own words Backpacker – Vacation Lover Co-raiser of the highest quality, kind, fun and remarkable human beings. Two gifts to all of us, she left behind Chase Custer and Cora Custer. I love you so much and...
Applications are open for CY2023 Pretrial Services and Veterans Treatment Court grants. Courts/agencies applying for funding from BOTH IOCS and IDOC Community Corrections should ONLY complete the IDOC application/budget and indicate the amount requested from IOCS...
The Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) Executive Board has concerns the minimum salary schedule for probation officers has not changed since adopted in its current form on September 10, 2002. Though slight cost of living adjustments have...
In a brief ceremony today, Chief Probation Officer Robert Reyes presented Senior Deputy Probation Officer Jared Freitas and Deputy Probation Officer Cristin Nagorski with letters of commendation for their quick response to the residence of known probationer who was...
On March 11, 2022, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a major set of juvenile justice policy reforms that will enhance public safety, improve youth outcomes, and use state resources more efficiently. Some of the key provisions include expanding pre-court diversion...
Officer Thomas Mangan faces a long recovery after getting shot in the neck during a traffic stop. INDIANAPOLIS — A fund has been set up to help an IMPD officer who was severely injured in the line of duty in late February. On Friday, March 11, Officer Thomas Mangan...
Lake County Juvenile Probation Department, Indiana End of Watch Sunday, March 21, 1926 Chief Probation Officer Lucile Myers was shot and killed while investigating a child welfare case at a home at 417 17th Street, near the intersection of Calumet Avenue and 17th...
Building Bridges, Mending Fences Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) is offering a four-session virtual course on community engagement and criminal legal system policy and practice. The course will help participants understand the spectrum of community...
State policymakers spent much of the past two years responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, urgent employment and housing needs, and nationwide calls for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd and other acts of racial violence. Yet, amid these overwhelming...
In 2021, Governor Holcomb signed HEA 1068 (the Local JRAC Statutes) into law. This important legislation, passed unanimously by both houses of the General Assembly, demonstrates Indiana’s renewed commitment to the principles of Justice Reinvestment. It also...
Lake County Board of Commissioners, et al., v. State of Indiana, et al., Case No. 22S-MI-64 The Indiana Supreme Court found, in an opinion written by Chief Justice Rush with concurrence from Justices David, Massa, Slaughter, and Goff, that probation officers are state...
Community supervision, most commonly probation and parole, is a key component of correctional systems in every state and involves more people than are serving prison or jail sentences. At the end of 2020, almost 3.9 million Americans—or 1 in 66 adults—were on...
Kaitlin Vanderpool was at a low point when she entered the Hamilton County Jail. She’d been convicted of her third drunken driving offense and was sentenced in May to three months in jail and two years probation. “It was my first incarceration, I was lost,...
NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Henry County is building a new 246-bed jail and sheriff’s office near the New Castle Correctional Facility on Van Nuys Road. The $24 million project is expected to house inmates as early as mid-February. With its construction, the new jail is...
Substance use disorders, which include substance dependence and abuse, have a tremendous impact on individuals, families, and communities. Read the five statements that are based on practices rated by CrimeSolutions.
Hosted by Dr. James Bonta, this webinar will explore how the Strategic Training Initiative in Community Supervision (STICS) model can help community supervision officers use RNR more effectively with their caseloads. Dr. Bonta will explore “the various evaluations of...
A new report examining jail data between 2014 and 2019 was released by John Jay College. The report summarized findings from three urban counties—Durham County, NC, Louisville-Jefferson County, KY, and St. Louis County, MO—and produced three key findings. Finding one,...
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has released a lot of new data over the past few weeks that help us finally see — both nationally and state-by-state — how policy choices made in the first year of the pandemic impacted correctional populations. Unsurprisingly,...
A bill targeting multiple areas of juvenile justice reform passed a committee vote Wednesday. The Indiana House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code unanimously passed House Bill 1359, which would prohibit children under the age of 12 from being detained, create...
A package of bills proposed by Republican senators in efforts to curb crime in Marion County were met with some opposition during a committee hearing. The bills were unveiled last month, and the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard testimony Tuesday....
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 today in the chamber of the Indiana House of...
A big jump in Indiana county jail overcrowding has state lawmakers looking to partially roll back a nearly decade-old criminal sentencing overhaul and let judges send more people convicted of low-level felonies into state prisons. An Indiana House committee voted this...
With deepest sorrow, the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute announces the passing of our Director, Dr. Edward J. Latessa, on January 11, 2022 at 5:55pm ET after a long and fierce battle with cancer. Dr. Latessa was a devoted leader and a trusted advisor to...
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Just after lunch on Dec. 22, Joe Hooker walked into the Circuit Court at the Tippecanoe County Court and was greeted by friends and his former colleagues. Hooker wasn’t sure why everybody had gathered. Perhaps they were there to convince him to...
This report is the 29th in a series that began in 1981. It includes characteristics of the population such as sex, race or ethnicity, and most serious offense of adult U.S. residents under correctional supervision in the community. The report details how people move...
A year after a state task force was created to improve Indiana’s juvenile justice system, recommendations for change are now headed to lawmakers. Tuesday the Indiana Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force endorsed a broad range of proposals that would establish...
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Steven H. David will step down from the bench in the fall of 2022 after nearly 30 years as a judicial branch leader. He is Indiana’s 106th Supreme Court justice and the longest-serving justice currently on the Court. In addition to his...
Delaware’s prison population has dropped significantly since Gov. John Carney took office in 2018. Back then, there were about 5,500 people being held in prison. Now that number hovers around 4,000, a drop of about 30%. While happy to see the prison population...
Probation was designed to be an alternative to incarceration, yet for many people under supervision it turns out be a pathway that inevitably leads them there. Nationwide, one in 57 people—nearly 2% of the adult population—is under supervision. Despite this, we know...
Executives Transforming Probatoin and Parole (EXiT) member Julie Rud talked with Justice Lab staff about some of the changes her agency has made to their drug testing protocols, both before and since the pandemic. Rud shared how such policies evolved from data-driven...
One of every 58 American adults is currently under some form of community correctional supervision. People placed on community supervision often have significant human service needs, some of which are addressed through correctional agency resources, but most of which...
IOCS is now accepting grant applications for Family Recovery Courts, Pretrial Services and Veterans Treatment Courts for calendar year 2022. Apply by November 1 at 6:00 p.m. (Eastern). Applicants must have a letter of intent submitted or be currently certified by IOCS...
The NADCP and NDCI collaborated with forensic toxicologist Paul L. Cary to create this handout that “provides answers to a series of frequently asked questions about creatinine as it relates to drug and alcohol screening.”
This report presents national data on adult offenders under community supervision on probation or parole in 2019. It includes characteristics of the population, such as sex, race or Hispanic origin, and most serious offense. The report details how offenders move onto...
On Thursday, September 9, 2021 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Valerie Runyon, of Wells County Probation, was awarded the “Rookie Probation Officer of the Year Award”. This award was established in 2014 to...
Allen Circuit Court’s Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Court has become the first of its kind in the state to receive full certification. The court program, located in Fort Wayne, was given provisional certification by the Indiana Supreme Court in July 2020,...
On Thursday, September 9, 2021 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Susan Allen of the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department was awarded the “Founder’s Award”. The “Founder’s Award” is a way of recognizing...
On Thursday, September 9, 2021 at the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) annual fall conference, Allen Waller, a probation officer with Vanderburgh Juvenile Probation, was presented the “Line Probation Officer of the Year Award.” This award...
Indiana wants to provide temporary housing for people recovering from substance abuse issues. The federal government provided the state with nearly $2 million for the Recovery Housing Pilot Program. The money will go to communities around the state that set up...
Indiana has been famously anti-pot for a while now. The state was one of the first to ban cannabis without a prescription back in 1913, as Eli Lilly cultivated one of the nation’s biggest marijuana farms. When the federal government cracked down on the plant in...
A message from the Putnam County Adult Probation Department: It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the passing of one of Putnam County’s Probation Officers, Kim Thibodeau. On August 31, 2021, Kim lost a hard-fought battle with breast cancer. Kim was one of...
Indiana leaders are taking a comprehensive look at the state’s juvenile justice system. That includes broad data analysis, interviews with key stakeholders and recommendations for improvements. The goal is reform – and maybe even transformation – of the system....
Does your caseload include pregnant women? If so, My Healthy Baby may be able to help. My Healthy Baby connects pregnant women with local organizations that provide personalized guidance and support throughout pregnancy and baby’s first year of life. These...
Every day across the country, traffic tickets, court fines & fees and fees in jails and prisons generate revenue for city governments. In many jurisdictions, fines and fees are viewed as just another source of funds to keep government functioning. But there are...
Measuring What Matters: Outcome and Performance Measures for the Pretrial Services Field, Second Edition, is the latest publication from the National Institute of Corrections outlining critical success criteria for the pretrial services field. Like its previous...
The Indiana Juvenile Detention Association provided a list of juvenile detention centers that accept juveniles whose cases were either waived or directly filed in adult court because certain crimes were committed. See the list of detention centers, that is subject to...
Encouraging Findings about Decarceration and Public Safety from the Safety and Justice Challenge The primary purpose of a jail is to detain those who are waiting for court proceedings and are considered a flight risk or public safety threat. However, many people...
The main 2021 legislative session concluded near the end of April. However, the House and Senate will reconvene later in the year to deal with redistricting after they receive the necessary information from the 2020 federal census. POPAI worked hard to advocate for...
INDIANAPOLIS, Marion County — Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears detailed a program on Thursday that would give low-level, non-violent juvenile offenders a second chance to avoid the criminal justice system. The “Second Chance Program” will partner with...
Today, Arnold Ventures and the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) announced the release of action research reports from the 10 jurisdictions selected to participate in the Reducing Revocations Challenge: Cook County, IL; Denver, CO; Harris County,...
We finally made it to 2021…and COVID-19 is still here. We all hoped it would feel more familiar—but not in the sense that we are getting used to stockpiling sanitizer and masks. Unfortunately, the concerns of 2020 have not fully dissipated, but the widespread...
The State Budget Committee has approved spending $12 million for engineering and design work on a planned $400 million rebuild of a deteriorating state prison in northwest Indiana. The budget committee approved the funding Wednesday for the Indiana Department of...
Heroin started rewiring and taking control of Will’s brain in the early 2000s, as he turned 40. “Back then, if you used drugs people didn’t want anything to do with you,” Will recalls. “People gave up on me.” Will lost almost...
Don’t miss out on $60,000 grant! In partnership with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction, IOCS is offering a $60,000 grant to every county for the opportunity to enhance collaborative partnerships between the local criminal justice system and behavioral health...
On Wednesday, June 9th the POPAI Executive Board met for a regularly scheduled meeting and selected a new District 3 Representative. The Board is pleased to announce that Megan Eakright, Problem Solving Court Coordinator for Wabash County, will serve as the...
Issues of equality and acceptance of transgender and nonbinary people — along with challenges to their rights — have become a major topic in the headlines. These issues can involve words and ideas and identities that are new to some. That’s why we’ve put...
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. — Boxes filled with Narcan are being installed on buildings in Bartholomew County. The latest one is attached to a brick pillar outside the library. “We connect people with resources no matter what those are, whether that’s books or digital...
Clad in a yellow tie and blue vest, the Miami County Probation Department’s newest employee doesn’t know how to read or write, how to tell time or even what day of the week it is. But what he can do is so much more than that. He can comfort a crying child, show...
Starting this summer, Indiana children less than 18 years old will no longer be required to get a work permit. It’s one of a handful of changes to state child labor laws coming into effect this year as a result of legislation passed in 2020. Beginning July 1, the...
This guide provides a framework for how to define and structure youth probation terms to reduce the harm inherent in probation supervision, leverage community partnerships, and build community capacity to wrap youth and their households with any supports, resources,...
ALBION — She admitted it — Stacey Beam was expecting the worse when called to the Noble County Circuit Courtroom Thursday afternoon. Instead, she was recognized as one of the best. Noble County’s chief probation officer, Beam was presented with the Order of Augustus,...
The main 2021 legislative session concluded near the end of April. However, the House and Senate will reconvene later in the year to deal with redistricting after they receive the necessary information from the 2020 federal census. POPAI worked hard to advocate for...
As established by Judicial Conference of Indiana per I.C. 11-13-1-8, the 2022 Minimum Salary Schedule for Probation Officers has been posted on the Indiana Office of Court Services website. Contact Angie Hensley-Langrel with questions.
In 2015, a probationer filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana against the Lake County Board of Commissioners, five Lake County Superior Court Criminal Division Judges, and two Lake County probation officers acting in...
The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) is proud to announce the results of their 2021 Election. Voting was completed virtually by APPA membership in the month of April, and turnout was fantastic! More than 650 voters took part in this year’s...
On Thursday, May 6th the POPAI Executive Board met to select a new Vice President of the Association. The Board is pleased to announce that Sarah Lochner, Chief Probation Officer for Wabash County, will serve as the Association’s Vice President for the...
INDIANAPOLIS — George Lewis was drinking a lot of gin. He was trying to numb the pain, to kill the dark thoughts. Friends and family were distancing themselves. He couldn’t keep a job. He was on the verge of homelessness. Lewis, 59, was out of control, raging. He...
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Children staying at the Allen County Juvenile Center (ACJC) are learning something new from an area teacher: how to knit. The center said it initially started as dedicated weekly enrichment time for students to engage in non-academic learning...
More medical practitioners are being allowed to prescribe buprenorphine under new guidelines from the Biden administration. The change means that the drug shown to reduce opioid relapses and overdose deaths can be more widely prescribed. It comes after a year of...
Adam McQueen, Assistant Chief Probation Officer of Wayne County and the President of the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI), announced to the Executive Board his resignation as President of POPAI. Vice President Troy Hatfield assumed the...
Every year 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...
Dear Corrections Colleagues: The National Institute of Corrections and the field of corrections lost a true justice warrior with the passing of our esteemed colleague, Lori Eville. She passed away on March 10, 2021 after a short fight with cancer. Lori had a long...
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,...
Carmen Maria Rodriguez March 5, 1963 – April 19, 2021 APPA distributed Carmen’s Obituary and additional thoughts in an email to it’s membership: Dear Colleagues, It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our friend and longtime Board Member,...
Anyone age 16 and older may now schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. Click here to register or call 211 (866-211-9966) if you do not have access to a computer or need assistance. When you enter a ZIP code to search for a vaccination site, you will find several...
After 43 years as a distinguished Tippecanoe probation officer, Joe Hooker will retire later this month. Hooker, who began his career as a probation officer on Jan. 3, 1978, will retire March 31. Among his accomplishments, Hooker worked with David Kuebler in 1988 to...
The Urban Institute recently released an assessment of the outcomes from changes made to the Supervision Revocation Policy in 2011. The report examines outcomes for individuals on probation, post-release supervision, and parole supervision before and after the changes...
The Center for Effective Public Policy along with the Center for Court Innovation have summarized the promising key research findings on Court Notification Systems and their impact on appearance rates. The report can be found here.
DEBUT NOVEL: “THE RANKINS OF PRATT COUNTY” AUTHOR : ROBERT L. BINGHAM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 29, 2021 A coming-of-age story, “The Rankins of Pratt County,” tells the story of an Illinois teenager attempting to survive a severely dysfunctional...
The Judicial Conference of Indiana’s Strategic Planning Committee continues to set a vision for the future of Indiana’s justice system. Since the committee’s inception in 2008, it has continued its efforts through education, implementation, and additional planning to...
Employers also potentially face legal liability under Indiana’s Worker’s Compensation laws, as it is possible that COVID-19 could be compensable as an occupational disease. If an employee can show a causal connection between their workplace and COVID-19 infection and...
From minor challenges to major crises, stress is part of life. And while you can’t always control your circumstances, you can control how you respond to them. When stress becomes overwhelming, or it’s chronic, it can take a toll on your well-being....
A written report on the Indiana State of the Judiciary will be made available prior to the close of the legislative session at courts.in.gov. Chief Justice Loretta Rush said, “I will provide a formal update on the work of the judicial branch through a written report...
In July 2020, Dr. Edward Latessa retired from the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Although he remains the Director of the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute (UCCI), we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of his many...
Wide variations in policies and term lengths across states point to opportunities for reform More than 3.5 million, or 1 in 72, adults were on probation in the United States at the end of 2018—the most recent year for which U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) data...
APPA’s 5th COVID Roundtable was recorded on Dec 15, 2020. It featured an array of researchers discussing the effects of the pandemic on agency staff and clients and identifying the lingering issues that agencies will face as we enter 2021. We’re diving...
The Indiana Supreme Court handed down an Order Suspending Jury Trials statewide until March 1, 2021, citing the need for drastic measures as COVID-19 continues to surge. In-person jury trials pose an exceptional risk to everyone involved—even if every precaution is...
Graphs about Adult Admission Trend: Old vs New Felony Levels, Facility Population: New Felony Levels, Distribution of New Felony Levels by Most Serious Offense, January 2018-YTD Admission and Release Totals, and Facility Capacity by Security Level are in the December...
Howard County Superior Court II Judge Brant Parry stood in his courtroom last week and looked around like he had lost something. “You want to see her?” he asked, still looking around the mostly empty room. A few moments later, a brown fluff of fur came bounding...
A 34-year-old Riverside County probation officer died from complications from COVID-19 on Saturday, Nov. 14, the department said. Deputy Probation Officer Julio Beltran, a seven-year veteran of the department, is survived by his wife, a son and his parents, the...
The Judicial Conference Board of Directors approved amendments to the Probation Standards effective January 1, 2021. The amendments add language related to Indiana’s Program Improvement Plan for child and family services. Contact Jenny Bauer with questions.
To All Criminal Justice Students, Legal and Community Correction Practitioners: Are you looking to start or elevate your career with the U.S. District Court, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office? Interested in learning more about what we do; how we positively...
As case numbers continue rising in Indiana and are causing more impact within court systems, the Supreme Court issued an order on November 10 with instructions for judges on safely operating their courts. IOCS has prepared a memo with guidance and procedures to help...
In states across the country, voters sent a clear message they wanted restrictions on recreational drug use eased. On Tuesday, residents of Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota voted to join the ranks of 11 other states that have done so. In 2012, Colorado...
The 2021 Court Reform grants application period is now open. Applications are open to be submitted by judges from any courts in Indiana due no later than November 27, 2020. For 2021, courts are able to request grant funds from these categories: Improving Court Safety...
On Wednesday, October 14th, the POPAI Executive Board voted to appoint Anthony Williams as our new conference planner! Anthony is the Alcohol and Drug Services Director for the Marion County Superior Court Probation Department and is a current member of POPAI. Anthony...
About this study: The purpose of this study is to examine how community corrections agencies altered policies and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now recruiting community supervision officers to participate in interviews to learn about how working...
On Wednesday, October 14th, the POPAI Executive Board voted to appoint Karen Oeding as our new membership coordinator! Some of you have met or seen Karen at our annual Fall Conference and all of you have seen a product of her work. Karen is our current webmaster who...
President Trump has signed into law a bipartisan bill to create a three-digit number for mental health emergencies. The Federal Communications Commission had already picked 988 as the number for this hotline and aims to have it up and running by July 2022. The new law...
With COVID-19 continuing to spread, and millions of Americans still out of work, one of the nation’s most urgent problems has only grown worse: hunger. In communities across the country, the lines at food pantries are stretching longer and longer, and...
The Indiana Supreme Court has posted proposed changes to the Access to Court Records Rules and the Rules of Trial Procedure. The public is invited to submit comments on these proposals until noon (Eastern) on October 29, 2020. Access to Court Records Rule 5 The...
Indiana’s public pension funds for state and local government employees, including teachers, has apparently weathered the financial markets’ volatility during the coronavirus pandemic, new data from the state show. The General Assembly’s Pension Management Oversight...
James T. Knight (“Knight”)—who is a licensed Indiana attorney and who pled guilty to Class A misdemeanor battery in exchange for the dismissal of two felony criminal confinement charges, a felony domestic battery charge, and a misdemeanor domestic battery...
The Rookie Probation Officer of the Year award was established in 2014 to recognize probation officers who, while at the beginning of their career, have shown the attitude, aptitude, and desire to improve themselves and to develop into leaders among their peers. Judge...
As U.S. law enforcement departments are accused of racist policing, one of the most common responses by the people in charge has been to have officers take “implicit bias” training. The training usually consists of a seminar in the psychological theory...
An Indiana judge killed in a small plane crash in southeastern Illinois was being remembered Sunday by fellow judges as a problem-solver who helped defendants start new lives. The plane crashed Saturday in southeastern Illinois, killed the pilot, Ryan Johanningsmeier,...
In December 2019, Stephen Owens retired from the position of State Public Defender, after serving for eight years as leader of the office. His full career in the State Public Defender’s Office lasted for over 33 years. The State Public Defender’s Office is a judicial...
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! POPAI will hold its annual business meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. All members are encouraged to log on to the meeting to learn about the status of the Association and vote on proposed bylaw changes posted...
New data from around the U.S. confirms that drug overdoses are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, rising by roughly 18%. Reports collected in real time by the Washington, D.C.-based group ODMAP — the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, located at the...
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus unveiled an expansive justice reform plan Thursday that reimagines policing across the state. The caucus hopes to advance the agenda in the next legislative session. It’s divided into five pillars: save lives, hold...
This research brief offers an initial analysis of newly-released data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), which report on the number of people under probation and parole supervision in 2017 and 2018. This brief seeks to put the data into the context of...
With the implementation of Criminal Rule 26 in January, courts across Indiana have been required to begin using evidence-based practices to make pretrial release decisions. But do those practices actually improve the criminal justice system? Up to this point, there’s...
FLOYD COUNTY — Longtime Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson has died, his office confirmed Saturday. Henderson, who served nearly two decades as prosecutor following an eight-year career as an Indiana State Trooper, died peacefully at his home Friday, according to...
Indiana judicial officers who want to participate in public events aimed at addressing social issues are allowed to do so, as long as they can in a manner that doesn’t impinge upon the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, a new advisory opinion...
Over 300 individuals registered for the NIJ webinar: Pretrial Risk Assessment in Practice Lessons & Research from Indiana on July 15th, 2020 to learn about implementation of the Indiana Risk Assessment System – Pretrial Assessment Tool (IRAS-PAT) in Indiana. This...
Every year 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...
Public health experts and advocates have worried about correctional facilities since the beginning of the pandemic. In such close quarters, social distancing is difficult or impossible, and a coronavirus outbreak poses risks to inmates, staff and the surrounding...
Many attorneys doing public defender work do so under contract with counties – meaning they get paid a flat amount, regardless of the number of hours they work. And that’s the primary method of public defense in about a third of Indiana. (WFIU/WTIU News file) Many...
Confusion over prolonged expungement wait times that Indiana’s longest-serving judge called “unjust” was settled Wednesday when the Indiana Supreme Court declared a new law that eliminated the confusion applies retroactively. In a 4-1 ruling, the Indiana Supreme Court...
There have been transformative changes in pretrial practices nationwide in the era of the coronavirus, according to a new, unpublished survey of several pretrial services agencies. “You saw a lot of criminal justice stakeholders getting together on how best to handle...
The 2020 legislative session ended in March – but many of the major education and health care measures passed by the state legislature go into effect on Wednesday. Hands-Free Driving Hoosiers can no longer use their cell phones while driving unless they’re hands-free,...
The image of 12 people packed shoulder-to-shoulder in a jury box is a powerful one. Enshrined in the Constitution, and in countless hours on television. But now? Court officials around the country are weighing their options while dealing with the looming threat of...
It wasn’t quite the retirement he expected. With COVID-19 forcing most of the population to work from home, Court of Appeals Judge John Baker quietly visited the Indiana Statehouse in early June to pack up his chambers. He’s been working from his Bloomington home, and...
Pretrial Risk Assessment in Practice: Lessons and Research from Indiana Wednesday, July 15th, 2020 12:00 – 1:15 pm Since 2016, researchers with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) have been studying the implementation of the Indiana Risk...
Indianapolis courts are beginning to reopen to in-person proceedings this week, though social distancing and other public-safety measures remain in effect at the downtown City-County Building.
When Judge Michael Barnes arrived in Indianapolis to begin his tenure on the Indiana Court of Appeals in 2000, he was one of several state public servants hailing from South Bend. The group, which included then-Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan, was dubbed the South Bend...
Stanley DeKemper: February 24, 1948 to June 3, 2020 Vice President for Education, Training & Credentialing; Executive Director, ICAADA It is with great sadness that I must convey Stan DeKemper’s passing yesterday. This is a tremendous loss to our field, our...
Chief probation officer Christine Kerl and her team from the juvenile division of the Marion Superior Court Probation Department fanned out to Dollar Tree stores across Indianapolis earlier this spring and loaded their carts with items for families to enjoy together...
The Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Implicit Bias Training Institute is a four-part, capacity-building workshop to strengthen one’s understanding of implicit bias and how biases impact our daily decisions. The rigorous curriculum equips participants...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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 —...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
