County Plans To Expand Community Corrections Program
Posted
Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
Kosciusko County’s new community corrections program will likely expand this year. On Tuesday, the county commissioners approved plans to continue funding the program through a state grant for the fiscal calendar year that begins in July. The office was established last summer and oversees an adult home detention program that currently works with about 40 offenders, said Barry Andrew, who is temporarily overseeing the office until a new director is found. The commissioners also have signaled their support to establish a “forensic diversions” program tailored for low-risk offenders who need added support such as drug counseling. Andrew said he believes the program could be established some time this year. When that happens, officials also will be prepared to make references for participants in the diversion program if they need help with emotional issues and anger management, Andrew said. The proposed program would require an additional employee to oversee it, but funding for that will come from fees derived from the home detention program, he said. Participants in the diversion program could be – if needed – monitored for drug treatment compliance and will face random drug tests, he said. Andrew estimates salary and benefits for the new position will cost about $59,000. The home detention program has generated about $74,000 in user fees in the first eight months. Home detention is geared toward higher-risk offenders who don’t have a history of violence while work release is geared toward a lower-risk segment. Home detention offenders are technically incarcerated. They are required to work, but are otherwise required to stay at home. They have to provide a detailed work schedule. If the offenders deviate from their schedules, Andrew said, the county office is alerted immediately. Violations can result in the offender being sent back to jail. “We don’t mess around,” Andrew said. Andrew applauded the efforts of two colleagues – Anna Bailey, the home detention officer, and Cari Whitaker, the program secretary. The annual state grant – expected to be $356,000 for the upcoming year – covers three salaries, plus benefits and other costs. Andrew is the probation department’s director of the misdemeanor alcohol and drug program, but is temporarily overseeing community corrections until a new director is hired. Once a director is hired, Andrew expects the home detention program’s caseload could double. Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said he appreciates the impact home detention and work release are having. He estimates that without the two programs, the county might be looking at 100 additional inmates to incarcerate, which would mean the total jail population would be close to 350 people. The jail’s maximum capacity is about 302 inmates. “Without these alternative sentences, you folks would probably be building jails every 10 years,” Rovenstine told the commissioners Tuesday. Andrew said he appreciates flexibility in the court system that can apply various types of sentences. “The options are so plentiful that that’s one of the things about work release and home detention is that we have these options for defenders to meet their needs the best and also the community’s needs, too,” he said. The community corrections director left the position several months ago. After a new community corrections director is hired, Andrew said he will return to his role as director of the director of alcohol and drug program. He said he also serves on the community corrections board. In other matters, the commissioners opened about a dozen bids from local car dealerships. The highway department is seeking to purchase three new pickup trucks. The bids were taken under advisement and final selections will likely be announced at the commissioner’s next meeting Feb. 7.
