The Senate Judiciary Committee heard HB 1006 sponsored by Sens. Young, Bray, and Houchin on broadening criminal justice treatment options. This bill:
- 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 report to be prepared in conjunction with the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (council);
- replaces the name Indiana Judicial Center with Office of Judicial Administration for purposes of submitting the community supervision collaboration plans, approval of the commissioner of the Department of Correction providing additional financial aid to counties with a community supervision collaboration plan, and 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; and
- provides that if the pilot program is established, the division shall issue annual reports. Removes an expired provision.
The bill was amended to add probation departments, pretrial diversion programs, and jail treatment programs to programs that are eligible to apply for a state grant for community corrections. Jane Seigel, executive director of Indiana Office of Court Services and chair of Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council, testified in favor of the bill. The Indiana Public Defender Council also testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 9-0 and was recommitted to Senate Appropriations.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/house/1006