In late summer 2009, the Supreme Court awarded nearly $350,000 to 12 courts across the state for the study and implementation of various programs designed to help courts streamline their operations. Under the Court Reform Grant (CRG) Program, grants of up to $30,000 are available for initial efficiency studies, while grants of up to $40,000 are available to put these study recommendations into action.
For the 2010 grant cycle, the Supreme Court will give priority consideration to projects in the following areas:
- Study or implementation of performance measures using the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC’s) CourTools;
- Modern court reporting technology;
- Unified court administration and budgeting on either a county or district level; and
- Cross-county programs, such as district problem-solving courts.
Each of the projects funded in 2009 are representative of the types of projects given special consideration. For example, Elkhart County Superior Court #4, Jennings County Circuit and Superior Courts, Martin Circuit Court, and Warren County each received grants ranging from $12,000 to $30,000 in order to purchase and install digital court reporting systems. Clark Superior Court received a $40,000 grant to create a court administrator position; this administrator will assume responsibility for core functions such as case management, budgeting and finance, human resources, planning and evaluation, and program coordination. Floyd County received a $30,000 grant to conduct a similar study evaluating means by which its court operations and administrative tasks could be streamlined.
Marion and Monroe counties each received $40,000 grants to implement the National Center for State Courts’ CourTools program, which enables courts to collect and present evidence of their success in meeting the needs of litigants. Monroe County, a first-time CRG recipient, is partnering with the Supreme Court’s Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC) to design and execute the CourTools application, while Marion County is implementing the results of its previous CourTools study, funded by a 2008 Court Reform Grant.
Three counties are using Court Reform Grants awarded in 2009 to implement multijurisdictional problem-solving courts. Fountain and Warren counties are piloting a joint drug court that will help rehabilitate drug offenders with addiction issues. Drug courts have been shown to be cost-effective by reducing or eliminating incarceration time, and often demonstrate a lower recidivism rate than that of other courts. Madison County received a $30,000 grant to launch a Youth Court. Madison County Unified Courts already operates three problem-solving courts: Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Re-Entry Court. This grant will be used to pilot a court geared toward rehabilitating juvenile offenders, as well as streamline and coordinate the county’s three existing problem-solving courts under one administration “umbrella” to reduce costs and resolve conflicts, gaps and inconsistencies in services.
For those courts interested in applying for grants to be awarded in 2010, a completed grant application must be submitted by June 1. The Application for 2010 Court Reform Grants is available on the Supreme Court’s website, courts.in.gov.