Community Corrections Programs

 IDOC Facilities Re-Entry Services Community Correction 

Indiana Community Corrections Programs

Establishment:

The Community Corrections Act was established in 1979 under IC 11-12-1-2 for the purposes to encourage counties to develop a coordinated local criminal justice system in order to divert from imprisonment which would be funded, at least in part, by the state

 

Community Corrections Overview

Community Corrections is a community-based supervision agency used for the primary purpose of providing sentencing alternatives for felony offenders in lieu of incarceration. In addition to diversion, Community Corrections serves an important role in rehabilitation through transitional programming and as an intermediate sanction for Parole, Probation, Courts, and other community-based supervision or programs.

 

Community Corrections serves 3 critical roles in the criminal justice system

 

Sentence Alternative: Community Corrections is a community-based supervision that serves as a sentencing or placement alternative to incarceration, while allowing restricted privileges to access the community while providing evidence-based interventions to establish long-term behavior change.

 

Intermediate Sanction: As an important element of best practices, Community Corrections serves as an intermediate sanction for Parole, Probation, Courts, and other community-based supervision or programs. The Levels of Supervision within a Community Corrections agency are often the basis for a graduated sanction process by phasing into more restrictive Levels of Supervision in lieu of a revocation, jail, or return to prison.

 

Re-Entry & Transitional Services: Community Corrections is also able to contract with the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) in order to provide re-entry services for IDOC’s Work Release program and the Community Transition Program.

 

Community Corrections Administration and Advisory Board

Since each county has different resources and priorities within their criminal justice system, the Community Corrections agency is overseen by the established Community Corrections Advisory Board.

 

The Community Corrections Advisory Board members are a statutory group of local criminal justice stakeholders under IC 11-12-2-2.

The community-based board is comprised of local criminal justice department heads or designees and stakeholders of the local criminal justice departments in addition to a victim, former Community Corrections participant, and local treatment/service providers.

The Community Corrections Advisory Board’s primary duties consist of:

Appointing the Community Corrections Director

Formulation of a Community Corrections Plan which is a comprehensive operational overview of the structure, administration, program elements, and program capacity

Formulation of Eligibility Criteria and Violation Criteria

Formulation of Program Rules, Policies, and Procedures

Administration of the program budget and expenses including:

Applying for and administration of the Community Corrections and Justice Reinvestment Grant Funding provided by the Department

User Fee Schedules

Support, monitor, and evaluate the Community Corrections Program on its effectiveness of the programs and determine if the program should continue

Placement into a Community Corrections Program

The Community Corrections Advisory Board establishes the program’s eligibility criteria and collaborates with their criminal justice partners to ensure the target population is placed and participants are appropriate for the program.

 

Cases are referred through:

 

Community Corrections sentence under the Direct Placement statute IC 35-38-2.6-4.2

 

As a condition of a Probation sentence

 

Monitoring

 

Graduated sanction due to a violation in lieu of jail

 

Collaborative resource efforts for services, programs, or classes

 

As a condition of a Parole

 

Monitoring

 

Graduated sanction due to a violation in lieu of prison

 

Collaborative resource efforts for services, programs, or classes

 

Community Transition Program

 

The IDOC State Work Release Contract

 

Program Components

Community Corrections programs vary from county to county based on the program budget, community resources, technological capabilities, human resource policies, and staffing support.

 

Community Corrections programs throughout the state have:

 

24/7 Monitoring or supervision

GPS monitoring device that tracks the participants whereabouts and alerts the Community Corrections program if the participant removes the device, enters a victim zone, or any established restricted zone

Home Detention monitoring device which allows the participant limited access to the community for job searching, employment, programs, treatments, services, errands, or incentives.

The device is zoned to the participant’s residence and the participant is only able to leave with an approved schedule acknowledged by the device

The Community Corrections program is alerted if the participant leaves the home unscheduled or does not return by the established curfew

A Residential Center is a secure facility which allows participants limited access to the community for job searching, employment, programs, treatments, services, errands, or incentives.

The participant has limited access to the community through an approved schedule 

The Community Corrections program monitors if the participants do not return within the designated curfew or is unaccounted for in the facility

Public Safety Accountability

Field visits are conducted to ensure that the participant is working, living, or visiting where they are approved to go

Home visits are conducted to ensure that the participant is abiding the program rules by ensuring there is no risk for criminal activity through verification of the residents of the home and that there are no weapons or drugs accessible

Random Drug Testing either conducted in-house or referred out to an external agency to ensure the participant is abiding by the program rules and not engaging in criminal activity

Case Management

Risk Assessment through the IRAS (Indiana Risk Assessment System) which drives decisions made on a participant’s supervision level, program, treatments, and services needed

Case plan with personalized goals while on the program

Graduated Sanctions and Incentives

The disciplinary process is progressive and allows for time to correct the behavior through community service, programming, treatment, or a cognitive intervention instead of an immediate court violation or jail placement

Executed sentences allow for the ability to have credit time earned or lost based program performance

Incentives may include treats, bus passes, reduced fees, modifications, or passes for family events

Programs, Treatment, and Services

Cognitive-Behavioral Programs and interventions

Examples: Thinking for a Change, Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Moving On

Treatment

Mental Health or Substance Abuse Treatment either in-house or referred to a local provider

Educational Programs

GED

Skill Building

Examples: Resume Classes, Mock Interviews, Job Searches

Stability Services

Assisting with obtaining a driver's license, ID, or social security card

Housing Assistance

Access to medical care through a Recovery Works Navigator

Transportation assistance with Bus Passes or ride share