« Ind. Gov't. - "Plan commission votes against Elkhart County zoning ordinance" | Main | Ind. Gov't. - Still more on: Concerns re SB 159 »

Friday, April 15, 2011

Ind. Gov't. - "Editorial: Next step for sentencing"; More on sentencing

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette today, this thoughtful editorial on the failed sentencing reform bill and what should come next.

Two timely entries in the Sentencing Law blog:

Missouri prosecutors pushing to abolish state's sentencing commission and guidelines - access here.

ACLU of Ohio releases new report assailing Governor's plan to sell state prisons - access here. A quote from the ACLU report:

“Privatizing prisons is seen as a quick remedy for states looking to alleviate budget concerns, but they are often more costly to the state. While our prison system is undeniably bloated, we must find long-term solutions to stop the flow of people into the system, not gamble on a system that could bring more problems than it solves,” said ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link.
From the NWI Times today, a story by Susan Brown, headed "New court aims to curb repeat offenders." Some quotes:
CROWN POINT | In the works for about nine months, Lake County's newest court will work to reduce the number of offenders who have become court regulars.

"We see some people over and over again," Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez said as he awaited the final go-ahead from the state this week.

That came Thursday with word of certification by the Indiana Judicial Center. The certificate, good for 18 months, allows the court to start up while preparing for full certification.

Though a variety of programs exist to help ease prison inmates back into their communities when they're released, about 67 percent typically become repeat offenders within one to three years, studies say.

But with direct court supervision, assistance with their individualized needs and strong incentives, such as a reduction of time on parole, the risk to re-offend is reduced significantly, Vasquez said.

Lake County's "re-entry court" is modeled on that of Allen County in Fort Wayne, what Vasquez called the pre-eminent such court in the state.

In existence for a decade, the court received high marks when evaluated over a seven-year period ending in 2008.

The study, conducted by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, found recidivism rates not only were significantly reduced, but also that even those rearrested were more likely to be charged with lesser crimes.

A Pew Center study on recidivism, announced Wednesday, found states spend more than $50 billion a year on corrections. If states could reduce their recidivism rates by just 10 percent, they could save more than $635 million in one year alone.

Here is the link to the new Pew report.

Finally, here is a new article from Indiana Court Times, on evidence-based sentencing practices. A quote:

In Indiana, as well as nationally, there has been a growing acceptance and use of evidence-based practices in sentencing adult and juvenile offenders. The foundation for implementing these practices requires the use of validated, actuarial risk assessment instruments. The term evidence-based practices refers to the use of empirical data derived through scientific research from juvenile and criminal justice systems which identify factors about an offender that provide an empirical assessment of the offender’s likelihood to reoffend and techniques and programs that have been proven effective in reducing such risks. Risk assessment instruments that focus on both risk and need factors can assist in creating proper supervision plans and appropriate service referrals by the supervising agency, including probation, parole, community corrections, problem-solving courts, Court Alcohol & Drug programs, and the Indiana Department of Correction.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 15, 2011 10:23 AM
Posted to Indiana Government