Adult Day Reporting and House Arrest
Offenders are referred to Day Reporting by the Court. The offender will be assessed to determine the level of supervision the offender needs, which is based on the type of offense charged or convicted, criminal history, court's order, risk assessment, employment and others. All offenders are drug tested randomly at least once per week when they are first ordered into the program or on an as needed basis. Offenders may be moved to a different level, up or down, based on compliance and progress. Violations will result in immediate sanctions, including but not limited to, loss of priveleges, community service, increased reporting and jail time. Drug offenders are referred to substance abuse treatment and self-help support group meetings. Offenders will also receive assistance, if needed, with employment issues, obtaining a GED and various social services. This component provides sentencing options for offenders in need of more supervision and monitoring than the standard probation provides yet the offender is not incarcerated, which decreases the jail population. With different levels of supervision, the offenders may advance into less restrictive levels as an incentive for good conduct. This also provides a sentencing alternative for female offenders whom work release is not available and incarceration is not the appropriate sentence, but who needs more supervision and monitoring than probation can provide.
Perry County Substance Abuse Court and Forensic Diversion Program
The Program will tackle eligible felony cases involving non-violent drug-using offenders. The program focuses on comprehensive supervision, drug testing, treatment counseling services and immediate sanctions and incentives. The Coordinator will also act as the case manager foreseeing and initiating community resources with drug-using offenders, along with weekly drug testing, employment assistance, treatment counseling therapy, and positive program compliance incentives. The Program anticipates lower recidivism rates and higher educational services geared to teaching the drug-using offender habits, lifestyles, and resources to a drug free lifestyle integrating the offender back to their family and community.
The program received a provisional certification from the Indiana Judicial Center to being operations on August 1, 2005, and certification on July 11, 2006. At this time, the Program has seven individuals in the Program.
The increasing negative impact of chemical and alcohol dependence in Perry County has required the criminal justice system to explore alternative sentencing options for drug and alcohol offenders. The concept of drug court involves providing substance abusing and dependent offender's access to long-term treatment services while under the strict supervision of the drug court. Drug courts are a non-adversarial approach to the traditional criminal justice system in that there is a team approach to working with offenders to reduce illegal drug use and criminal activity among drug court participants. Team members include the drug court judge, the prosecutor, public defender, a representative from each agency providing services to the drug court participants, coordinator, case manager, law enforcement and drug court staff. The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs developed the Ten Key Components of Drug Courts serve as a framework for drug court operations. The Perry County Circuit Court seeks to implement the drug court model, adhering to the Ten Key Components, in order to provide drug offenders in the community access to treatment services and reduce drug use and criminal activity in our community.
Community Transition Program
This program will supervise and monitor eligible offenders who are released from Department of Corrections toward the end of their sentence. Documentation is obtained from the Department of Corrections when an offender is eligible. The program staff will contact the court and prosecutor to ensure that they are aware of the offender's eligibility. If eligible, the offender will be transported to the Perry County Jail where he or she will be interviewed by the Community Transition Program staff. At that time, staff will determine what services to refer the offender to. The offender must have local housing prior to being released. The staff may assist with making the arrangements for housing, job placement and referrals to social services. Eligible offenders accepted in the program may be placed in Level I of the Day Reporting program which requires home detention with electronic monitoring. Depending on the length of the transition period and level of compliance, the offender can transition to Level II of Day Reporting without electronic monitoring and have more privileges. All offenders are required to meet with staff at least once per week and submit to random drug screens at least once per week. Substance abuse treatment is available to help maintain sobriety. The offenders with a substance abuse history will be required to go to support groups meetings while in transition. This component provides an opportunity for those in the Department of Corrections to transition back into the community with less anxiety because of the preparation of the release and the support system that exists to aide in the re-integration. (Download Brochure)