Abt Associates Holly Swan, PhD, Walter Campbell, PhD
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States (U.S.) justice system—from policing to reentry— has been profound (Chapman, Irazola, and Swan, 2020). Appropriately, much of the focus in media and scholarly outlets has been on the impact of the pandemic on prisons and incarcerated populations (Akiyama, et al., 2020; Busanksy, 2020; Burki, 2020; […]
Indiana judicial officers who want to participate in public events aimed at addressing social issues are allowed to do so, as long as they can in a manner that doesn’t impinge upon the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, a new advisory opinion from the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications says. The JQC issued Advisory […]
Over 300 individuals registered for the NIJ webinar: Pretrial Risk Assessment in Practice Lessons & Research from Indiana on July 15th, 2020 to learn about implementation of the Indiana Risk Assessment System – Pretrial Assessment Tool (IRAS-PAT) in Indiana. This webinar is now publicly available on YouTube and can be found here:
When in-person legal education events became virtually impossible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic chose to go virtual. The clinic, out of necessity, decided to implement a new way of reaching the communities it serves through a social media platform that has recently taken off, Facebook Watch. “The concept of […]
Every year POPAI provides a scholarship in memory of probation officer Donald “Charley” Knepple. Charley lost his life on April 28, 1997, while performing his probation officer duties in Allen County, Indiana. In an effort to honor an outstanding professional and to promote further professionalism, POPAI selected a scholarship that would encourage continued education and […]
The lawsuit alleges three private companies that provide telecom services in prisons lied to state and local governments about the cost of doing business. A new lawsuit filed in federal district court is taking aim at the high cost of making phone calls from prison. Families of incarcerated people are calling the prices charged for […]
Public health experts and advocates have worried about correctional facilities since the beginning of the pandemic. In such close quarters, social distancing is difficult or impossible, and a coronavirus outbreak poses risks to inmates, staff and the surrounding communities. To mitigate those risks, some governors — including those in Indiana’s neighboring states — took steps to reduce […]
The Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies Act would create penalties for those who make false emergency reports. On Memorial Day in New York City, a white woman named Amy Cooper called the police on a Black birdwatcher, Christian Cooper (the two are not related), and falsely reported that he was threatening her. A video of the […]
Many attorneys doing public defender work do so under contract with counties – meaning they get paid a flat amount, regardless of the number of hours they work. And that’s the primary method of public defense in about a third of Indiana. (WFIU/WTIU News file) Many lawyers in Indiana doing public defender work earn less than […]
Nominations are being accepted until August 17, 2020 for three awards traditionally presented during our Annual Meeting. The Founder’s Award is a way of recognizing individuals who have significantly contributed to the field of probation in general, and specifically to the POPAI organization. The recipient need not be a Probation Officer or POPAI member. The […]
According to the POPAI Bylaws, Article XIV AMENDMENTS These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by the membership if a quorum is present at any regular or special meeting. Any proposed alteration to the bylaws shall be submitted to the President of the Executive Board at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual […]
Confusion over prolonged expungement wait times that Indiana’s longest-serving judge called “unjust” was settled Wednesday when the Indiana Supreme Court declared a new law that eliminated the confusion applies retroactively. In a 4-1 ruling, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered the Elkhart Superior Court to grant the expungement that N. G. has sought beginning in 2018. […]
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The pandemic has taken a toll on day-to-day life for most people, including those in the recovery community. From the loss of in-person recovery meetings, to unemployment and furloughs, to a general sense of disconnect, recovering addicts are faced with several COVID-19 related hurdles as they navigate through the […]
As viral videos of shoppers’ tirades and confrontations over being asked to wear face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic erupt, major retailers are urging governors to make it a requirement for everyone to wear a mask. The Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represents Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Walgreens, Home Depot and other major chains, says different local mandates across […]
There have been transformative changes in pretrial practices nationwide in the era of the coronavirus, according to a new, unpublished survey of several pretrial services agencies. “You saw a lot of criminal justice stakeholders getting together on how best to handle this [the pandemic],” said Jim Sawyer, executive director of the National Association of Pretrial Services […]
(BEDFORD) – The Lawrence County Commissioners gave their approval for Lawrence County to be a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) county. Juvenile Referee Anah Hewetson Gouty told the commissioners Tuesday morning that the county has received a grant for around $50,000 to participate in the initiative. “The increased and unnecessary use of secure detention exposes […]
The 2020 legislative session ended in March – but many of the major education and health care measures passed by the state legislature go into effect on Wednesday. Hands-Free Driving Hoosiers can no longer use their cell phones while driving unless they’re hands-free, starting Wednesday. Indiana Department of Transportation spokesperson Scott Manning said drivers can […]
The image of 12 people packed shoulder-to-shoulder in a jury box is a powerful one. Enshrined in the Constitution, and in countless hours on television. But now? Court officials around the country are weighing their options while dealing with the looming threat of COVID-19. In Indiana, jury trials are scheduled to resume on July 1, and […]
The authors examine the relationship between supervision intensity and probation outcomes (i.e., increase in supervision level and rearrest) among low-risk individuals. Results show that individuals placed on the low-risk caseload were less likely to have probation revoked than low-risk probationers placed on regular caseloads. There was no significant relationship between low-intensity supervision and rearrest. Download […]
CLARK COUNTY — A Clark County board voted Tuesday to modify an in-patient addiction program for inmates to an outpatient-only program — a change some say is needed to protect against COVID-19 and others say will dampen the program’s effects. The Clark County Community Corrections board — which has representatives from multiple county departments and […]
The National Judicial Opioid Task Force (NJOTF) has created excellent tools to assist courts in addressing the addictions crisis. Many of these tools are “deliverables” or “bench-cards” for a judge to quickly reference, e.g. a Substance Use Disorder Dictionary for State Courts and a guide to treating pregnant women with opioid use disorder. The NJOTF’s […]
Registration is open for APPA’s 45th Annual Training Institute – Value and Vision: A Virtual Experience Date(s): August 24 — 28, 2020 Venue: Virtual Website: coming soon! student rate: $99 early, non-member rate: $230 late, non-member rate: $290 early bird discount available through 7/30/20. APPA Individual Member discount available, just sign-in. APPA Agency Member discount […]