The House Judiciary Committee heard HB 1006 on forensic treatment services, authored by Rep. Steuerwald. The bill provides the following:
- makes various changes to the criminal justice institute’s annual report on the impact of criminal code reform on local units of government, the department of correction, and the office of judicial administration
- requires the annual report to be prepared in conjunction with the justice reinvestment advisory council (council)
- adds probation departments, pretrial diversion programs, and jail treatment programs to programs that are eligible to apply for a state community corrections grant
- replaces the Indiana judicial center with the office of judicial administration for purposes of: (1) submitting the community supervision collaboration plan; (2) approval of the commissioner of the department of correction providing additional financial aid to counties with a community supervision collaboration plan; and (3) duties with the council
- allows the division of mental health and addiction (division) to establish a pilot program, subject to available funding and on the recommendation of the council, to provide mental health and addiction forensic treatment services to individuals who are charged with a misdemeanor and meet certain eligibility criteria
- provides that if the pilot program is established, the division shall issue annual reports
- removes an expired provision for the council to consult with the commission on improving the status of children (expired January 1, 2018)
Jane Seigel, executive director of the Indiana Office of Court Services, and Larry Landis, executive director of the Indiana Public Defender Council, testified in support of the bill. The bill was held for amendment at the next meeting.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/house/1006