The Senate Judiciary Committee heard HB 1006 on criminal justice funding sponsored by Sen. Steele and Sen. Young. Author Rep. Steuerwald explained that the bill reduces the deadline for submitting a collaboration plan between the probation department and the community corrections program in each county for the provision of community supervision for adult offenders from July 1, 2017 to January 1, 2016. The date upon which persons convicted of a Level 6 felony may not be committed to the DOC, unless the commitment is due to a probation, parole or community corrections violation, was also extended until after January 1, 2016. The bill authorizes community corrections grant funds to be used to support court supervised recidivism reduction programs. The bill establishes the justice reinvestment community grants program under the administration of the Indiana Judicial Center, and vests the authority to adopt rules for the program in the Judicial Conference of Indiana Board of Directors (including the requirement that at least 75% of awarded funds must be used to provide evidence-based mental health and addiction treatment). A justice reinvestment community grants program advisory council (membership specified) is established and charged with making recommendations to the Judicial Center on the award of grant applications. An amendment was adopted by consent adding representatives from the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana and the Indiana Association of Community Corrections Act Counties to the advisory council.
Extensive testimony was heard in support of the bill from representatives of: the Indiana Judicial Center, the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana, the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, the Indiana Public Defender Council, Lawrence County Superior Court, the Indiana Judges Association, the Monroe County Probation Department, the Marion County Probation Department, Vanderburgh County, Allen County, Mental Health America of Indiana, the Indiana Association of Community Corrections Act Counties, the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association and two vendors currently partnering with community supervision agencies. The amended bill passed 9-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/house/1006.