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Monday, February 25, 2008
Ind. Courts - "LaPorte Judge Wants To Start Re-entry Court"
Laurie Wink reports today in the Michigan City News-Dispatch via a story that begins:
A chance encounter with a woman gave Superior Court 1 Judge Kathleen Lang the impetus to pursue a new approach to criminal justice in La Porte County.Lang wants to establish a re-entry court for repeat offenders. The re-entry court would take a more personalized, problem-solving approach to help offenders integrate back into the community after serving a sentence.
More than two-thirds of inmates who return to their communities are arrested again within three years, according to Lang.
"Repeat offenders increase the rate of crime in our community, become a burden on the taxpayer and make it even more difficult for the offender to become a productive member of society," Lang said.
Lang met the woman, a repeat offender with drug-related convictions, at a 5th Ward neighborhood party. The woman had been recently released from the Indiana Department of Correction when Lang met her. She was carrying bags of pillows she made to sell for extra money. The woman had just started a job but couldn't afford a NIPSCO deposit to establish service to her apartment.
Lang said she realized the woman was doing the best she could to re-establish her life but faced tremendous obstacles. The judge talked to the ex-offender's probation officer, who was able to get her assistance for the utility deposit. That story personalized the re-entry issue for Lang.
"When you have multiple convictions, it's difficult to get a job," Lang said. "Without help, re-entering offenders fall back into the old behaviors that landed them in prison." * * *
A re-entry court monitors returning ex-offenders and sets up a support system tailored to each person's needs. They regularly appear before the judge to review their problems and progress.
Lang sees a philosophical shifting away from the view that courts exist to process offenders through the system, toward one that sees courts as vehicles for social change. She recently attended a White House summit on prisoner re-entry and met with the Indiana Judicial Center's problem-solving courts team.
"Courts are experimenting with a variety of innovative programs," Lang said.
She sees Michigan City's strong faith-based community as key to a re-entry program and has met with several leaders who want to be involved in a re-entry court. * * *
Lang says Indiana is in the forefront of establishing problem-solving courts, with five already set up. She wants to get one off the ground in La Porte County as soon as possible.
"It could reduce the amount of future criminal activity," Lang said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 25, 2008 01:50 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts