Submitted by Don Travis Title: PresidentAugust 18, 2008
Probation Officers for the State of Indiana,
As a result of the past two POPAI Board meetings in conjunction with the Probation Officer Advisory Board Future of Probation Task Force and responses received regarding this subject, the beliefs or themes have been updated.
As most of you are aware, over the past several years it has been suggested that probation officers in the State of Indiana in some way become State funded.
The Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform published the Commission’s report, Streamlining Local Government: We’ve got to stop governing like this. The report includes recommendations for government reform, including the recommendation that responsibility for all funding of the state’s trial court system should be transferred to the state, including probation.
In recent months, in light of property tax relief and other key issues that affect state and local funding, the issue of how to fund probation officers once again appears on the horizon. P.O.P.A.I. Board Members, in addition to members of the Probation Officers Advisory Board, met at our last P.O.P.A.I. Board Meeting to share concerns and ideas relating to this topic. As a result, some common beliefs or themes arose that we would like to share with you and further invite comments relating to this topic.
The beliefs or themes were as follows:
• Probation Officers should remain under the Judicial Branch of Government.
• Probation Officers must remain under the direction of the local judiciary to promote responsivity and efficiency, particularly to those issues that affect the local communities.
• Working with the Judicial Branch of government, a formula must be created to allow probation departments to receive funding or subsidies from the State of Indiana to reduce the burden on county government and to reduce the inherent tensions between county governments and the judiciary. Included in this formula should be incentives for expansion of services, the use and or collection of user fee’s, and workload measures.
• P.O.P.A.I and the Probation Advisory Board, as representatives of probation officers for the State of Indiana, should be proactive (as opposed to reactive) in planning for the future of our profession.
It is noted that at the present time, there has been no suggestion of any impending legislation related to this topic. The P.O.P.A.I. Board Members and members of the Probation Advisory Board are soliciting comments regarding the beliefs stated above.
At the present time, we are seeking continued input to support the aforementioned beliefs or themes. Please send an e-mail regarding your concerns to:
survey@gopopai.org
POPAI requires identification so that we may contact you to verify your submission. Please include the required information below for your submission to be formally considered by this committee. Your name will not be used in any follow-up memos or publication upon your specific request. State of Indiana, may have regarding a change in the funding mechanism for probation in this state.
Name (required) Work or daytime phone number (required) E-mail (required) County in which you work (optional)
Don Travis, President, POPAI Steve Eyrick, Chairperson, Probation Officer Advisory Board
POPAI Conference Registration Available
Submitted by Jeremy Stevens Title: WebmasterJuly 10, 2008
The 2008 POPAI Fall Conference will be held September 3rd, 4th, and 5th at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. This conference is for anyone in the field of probation and probation services. Attendees will be given the opportunity to gain probation specific knowledge on techniques, services and technology of the future being utilized in Indiana today. Opportunities will also be available for attendees to retreat, share ideas, participate in some free time activities and to enjoy an excellent training and networking environment.
More information regarding the conference, as well as registration forms are available by clicking on the "Read on..." link below.
Justice Frank Sullivan Announces JTAC Supervision Module Plans at POPAI Board Meeting
Submitted by Linda Brady Title: Vice-President August 17, 2008
New Features of Odyssey Case Management System to Benefit Probation, Community Corrections, and Other Court Supervision Functions
The Indiana Supreme Court has agreed to invest an additional $1.1 million to acquire a computer system to provide advanced probation, community corrections, and other court supervisions functions, Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr., told the leadership of the Probation Officers’ Professional Association of Indiana at its monthly meeting August 13, 2008. The new features will comprise the “Supervision Module” of the Supreme Court’s Odyssey Case Management System, a computer system that Indiana trial courts and court clerks use to record and manage information on pending cases, Sullivan said.
“Adding new features to Odyssey that assist courts in supervising individuals on probation, in community corrections placements, and in other court programs will be a major step toward achieving our goal of equipping all Indiana courts with a 21st-century case management system and connecting the courts' case management systems with each other and with those who use and need court information,” Sullivan said. Sullivan chairs the Supreme Court’s Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC) which works to improve the technology available to Indiana courts.
Under Indiana law, courts administer adult and juvenile probation programs and work closely with community corrections programs. Many Indiana courts also operate Drug Court, Re-entry Court, and Court Alcohol & Drug programs that require specialized supervision of the individuals placed in those programs. The Odyssey system contains basic functions that assist in such supervision; the Supervision Module will greatly increase the power and range of these functions, Sullivan said.
Sullivan also announced that JTAC has entered into agreements with two probation specialists, Mark Harvey and Mark Rodriguez, to assist with the design and installation of the Supervision Module. Harvey, a former juvenile probation officer in Pulaski and Howard Counties, has joined JTAC as a full-time employee. Rodriguez, also a former probation officer whose company, Paperless Business Solutions, specializes in probation work, will work as a contract consultant with JTAC. “We are pleased to have the assistance of these experts in probation to assure that the Supervision Module meets the needs of those who will use its features most,” Sullivan said.
The new probation and supervisions functions were the subject of a detailed analysis in February of this year. During this process, JTAC staff met with probation and community corrections personnel to identify needed features. Staff also met with personnel from Drug Courts, Court Alcohol & Drug Programs, and the Indiana Judicial Center to gather additional input. From these meetings, JTAC developed a list of more than 100 prioritized requirements and refined this list from feedback gathered from the officials statewide who had participated in the analysis and subsequent discussions.
Some of the key functions that the Supervision Module will include are:
• providing an “Officer Dashboard” with summary information such as open contacts and office visits for the day; • generating documents in Microsoft Word and automatically merging data from the case record; • requiring drug panels for screening, tracking results, and maintaining history by probationer; • producing reports, e.g. state mandated reports, reports to track recidivism, and drug test results; • tracking demographic information, including transportation and medical information; • linking a probation case to its related court case; and • assessing and collecting fees, fines, and costs for the probation case.
The work to create the Supervision Module for Odyssey has begun by JTAC’s principal contractor, Tyler Technologies, Inc. Delivery is expected by next summer.
Odyssey has been installed in the nine Circuit Courts of Monroe County and in the Marion County Washington Township Small Claims Court since December, 2007, and January, 2008. Work is underway to install Odyssey in the courts of Warren and Tipton Counties during August and September, 2008, and in the courts of Allen, Clark, DeKalb, Floyd, Hamilton, Harrison, Huntington, Madison, and additional Marion County Small Claims Courts later in 2008 and the first half of 2009.
If you have any questions related to the Odyssey CMS Project or the future Supervision Module, please contact Mary L. DePrez, Director and Counsel for Trial Court Technology, at mdeprez@jtac.in.gov.
Jana Stanfield Keynote
Submitted by Jeremy Stevens Title: Webmaster August 13, 2008
The Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) is pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to hear and experience the “Queen of Heavy Mental”, Jana Stanfield.
Jana is an internationally known musician and motivational speaker who will be presenting a keynote concert at the 2008 POPAI Fall Conference on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel in downtown Indianapolis In an effort to share this exciting event with as many people as possible, POPAI is extending a special invitation to our friends and colleagues to attend Jana’s presentation for a small fee of just $10.00 per person.
We know not everyone has time to get away from the office for 3 days to attend the full conference. Attending the keynote only provides an excellent opportunity to spend just a few hours away from the office and return refreshed and renewed. Jana’s presentation is guaranteed to make you laugh and leave you with an enthusiastic appreciation for the good you do in the world!
The presentation will begin at 1:30 p.m. and is expected to last no more than 90 minutes. The hotel is located right off the circle in downtown Indianapolis and within walking distance of many great restaurants where you could enjoy a nice lunch prior to the presentation.
This opportunity is being offered not only to probation officers, but also to child care workers, support staff, service providers, and many others with whom we deal on a daily basis. We encourage you to attend and to pass the information on to others you believe might enjoy an afternoon of laughter, entertainment, and just plain fun!
To register, please click the read on link below to access the registration form and return it to Susan Rice, CPO, Miami County Probation, 25 Court Street, Peru, IN 46970.
Freebirds Solution Center residents have new option for spending time with their children
Submitted by Warren Hale Title: District 8 Rep August 10, 2008
Open now for about a month, the new Children’s Overnight Visit Center at Freebirds has three bedrooms and a family room, where residents can have their children come and spend the night with them, or engage in supervised visits in the family room.
