Through several enabling statutes and some federal funds, the Supreme Court is able to provide annually much needed fiscal assistance to trial courts for their operations and a number of related programs such as indigent defense and indigent civil legal representation. When totaled together, these amounts become a significant assistance for trial court operations. This article highlights several of those programs.
Court Improvement Grants
the US Department of Health and Human Services annually awards to applying states Court Improvement (CIP) grants that are intended to improve the judicial system for at-risk families and abused and neglected children in foster care. The federal grants are for a two-year period, based on the federal fiscal year of October through September. The Indiana Supreme Court is the beneficiary of three Court Improvement Program grants: 1) general court improvement projects; 2) court training projects; and 3) data sharing projects. The Supreme Court Executive Committee makes awards to local courts seeking assistance.
For fiscal year 2006-2008, the Court received $282,284 for general court improvement projects. The project goal is to assist courts in coordinating the administration of justice for families involved in multiple cases in the court system. The Supreme Court awarded a major portion of these funds to their Family Court Project.
The Court also received $215,688 for court training projects. The goal of the training grant is to improve collaboration between the governmental agencies and our courts in dealing with abused and neglected children. The Supreme Court awarded a portion of these funds for the first annual Indiana Summit on Children.
And, the Court received $215,534 for data sharing projects. The major objective of this grant is to improve Court performance by documenting and sharing the results of court efforts involving abused and neglected children.
Courts may apply for CIP grants completing a CIP Grant Application Form at courts.in.gov/cip/docs/apppacket/08grant-app.pdf or by contacting Nancy Gettinger, CIP Grants Administrator, Indiana Judicial Center, at 317-232-1313, or at [email protected].
Civil Legal Aid Fund
the Civil Legal Aid Fund provides a total of $ 1.5 Million in biannual grants to qualified providers of civil legal aid to indigent Hoosiers. Distributions from the Fund are based on the proportion of civil filings in a county compared to statewide civil filings. Providers serving in each county share that county’s Fund allocation. Eligibility for a grant is dependent on the provider submitting an opt-in form by May 2. During January 2008, the Fund distributed $750,000 in grants to 12 qualified legal aid providers. The next distribution is scheduled for July 2008.
Drug Court Grant Program
sixteen drug courts were awarded $100,000 for FY 2008 through the Indiana Supreme Court Drug Court Grant Program administered by the Division of State Court Administration and the Judicial Center. The total amount of grants may yet increase, depending on availability of additional funds. This is the fifth year for the program through with the legislature provides funds to the Supreme Court to provide grants to drug courts. Since 2004, the Court has awarded approximately $350,000 to drug courts certified and established under IC 12-23-14.5. Drug courts may apply for up to $10,000 and may use these funds for personnel, chemical testing, treatment services, incentives, or evaluation services.
Family Court Project
the Supreme Court has awarded $208,000 in Family Court grants for 2008. Beginning in 2000, the first three pilot counties developed family court models under the administration of the Division of State Court Administration, with guidance from a statewide Family Court Task Force. Today there are twenty-three counties participating in the project. While all projects must include some type of judicial coordination of multiple case families, programming has expanded to include non-adversarial dispute resolution and other programming for high-risk, low-income, and/or pro se families. For more information about the Family Court Project, please visit the website at courts.in.gov/family-court.
Foreign Language Interpretation Grants
this year the Indiana Supreme Court has awarded $200,000 in Foreign Language Interpretation Grants to be used in 40 counties. Awards ranged from $750 to $21,500 and were distributed based on need, use of certified interpreters, and demonstrated dedication to improving foreign language services in the courts. The awards are part of the Supreme Court’s continuing effort to improve access to justice by promoting the use of qualified interpreters. The emphasis on court interpretation gained momentum following a recommendation by the Supreme Court’s Race and Gender Fairness Commission in 2000 to have Indiana join a national consortium that certifies qualified court interpreters. Since joining the consortium, 56 interpreters have been certified after passing a rigorous language examination process. Contact information for all of Indiana’s certified interpreters can be found at courts.in.gov/interpreter/registry.html. The 2008 Grants will benefit the following counties: Allen, Brown, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Dearborn, Decatur, Elkhart, Floyd, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard, Jasper, Jay, Johnson, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Noble, Ohio, Parke, Porter, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, Starke, Steuben, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Wabash, Warrick, and Wayne.
GAL/CASA Matching Grants
the Supreme Court provides matching grants to counties to provide volunteer based Guardian ad Litem (“GAL”) and Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) services to children in abuse and neglect proceedings. Counties must be certified by the Supreme Court as being in compliance with the GAL/CASA Program Standards and Code of Ethics in order to be eligible for grant funds. The grants must be matched dollar for dollar with county tax dollars. The amount of each grant is based on the number of Child in Need of Services (“CHINS”) cases in the county in the prior calendar year. The Supreme Court distributed $2,700,000 in matching grants to 64 counties in the 2007-2008 state fiscal year. For more information about GAL/CASA programs, please visit the State Office of GAL/CASA website at courts.in.gov/galcasa.
CAPTA Grants
indiana became eligible for federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (“CAPTA”) funds for the first time in 2006. One of the main changes Indiana had to make in order to receive CAPTA funds was to change the law to require a GAL/CASA for every child in every CHINS case. This change required significant expansion of the GAL/CASA network and additional funding in order to serve every child. In order to assist with the expansion efforts needed to serve more children, the Department of Child Services (“DCS”) agreed to provide $500,000 of the CAPTA funds it receives to the Indiana Supreme Court to distribute to GAL/CASA programs across the state. In 2007, the Supreme Court provided approximately $500,000 in CAPTA grants to 22 GAL/CASA programs serving 29 counties for the development of new programs and multi-county programs and will do so again in 2008.
Indiana Public Defense Fund
the Public Defense Fund was legislatively created in 1989 to reimburse Indiana counties for a portion of their costs for indigent defense in death penalty cases, and expanded in 1995 to include expenses for non-capital felony and juvenile cases. A Public Defender Commission of eleven members was formed to oversee the Fund and to develop qualifications for attorneys assigned to defend an indigent person facing the death penalty. Originally, the Public Defense Fund received an annual appropriation of $650,000. The Legislature has increased the amount of the Fund to cover the growing costs of indigent defense expenses. Today, the Public Defense Fund distributes $14.5 million dollars to program counties. On July 1, the appropriation increases to $15.25 million. The Public Defender Commission’s website at courts.in.gov/pdc has more detailed information on the duties of the Commission, the amount of funds reimbursed to each county, Standards, Annual Reports, meeting minutes, and notices of Commission meetings. The Division of State Court Administration, under the direction of the Commission and Chief Justice, administers the fund.