The economic downturn and the fiscal challenges facing the public sector have left little room in county budgets for court reorganization, innovation and improvement projects. The Supreme Court’s Court Reform Grant Program, first launched in 2008, continues to help courts innovate and improve their administration.
In late summer 2010, the Indiana Supreme Court awarded more than $485,000 to 25 courts across the state for the study and implementation of various programs designed to help courts streamline their operations. Under the Court Reform Grant Program, grants of up to $30,000 are available for initial studies and one-time equipment purchases, while grants of up to $40,000 are available to put study recommendations into action. The program is funded through reimbursement from the federal government of state level expenditures on child support recoupment services under Title IV-D.
For the 2011 grant cycle, the Supreme Court will give priority consideration to projects in the following areas:
- Studies and/or implementation of unified court management, administration and budgeting on either a county or district level;
- Study and/or implementation of performance measures using the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC’s) CourTools;
- Modern court reporting technology;
- Studies and/or implementation of the transfer of responsibility for court records from the clerks to the courts; and
- District level programs, such as district problem-solving courts.
Each of the projects funded in 2010 are representative of the types of projects given special consideration. For example, Starke County, Bartholomew County, Fountain County, Lake Superior Court, and Sullivan County each received grants ranging from $3,000 to $30,000 to purchase and install digital court reporting systems. The creation of an accurate and complete record of trial court proceedings is vital, yet many courts are using outdated and sometimes unreliable reporting equipment, requiring dozens of man-hours to create a single transcript. Jennings County Circuit Court Judge Jon Webster says of his 2009 court reporting grant, “It is a huge improvement for us and was long past due!”
Marion and Henry counties are collaborating on a study by the National Center for State Courts to create a recommended approach to the transfer of record-keeping responsibilities from the clerks to the courts themselves. Results of this study will be made available to other courts across the state who wish to transfer record-keeping responsibilities.
Hendricks County used its $5,000 Court Reform Grant as matching funds for a $50,000 State Justice Institute grant for a strategic plan to better coordinate court functions and improve court cost-effectiveness. Dearborn County requested a $30,000 study grant in furtherance of its goal to create a unified court system, consolidated probation department, and long-term vision for “umbrella” resources.
Efficiency studies will have long-reaching effects, not only in the recipient courts, but in other courts able to apply the study results. By eliminating duplicative work and automating common processes, courts will find themselves better able to wisely utilize resources in good economic times as well as bad.
The 2011 grant cycle will begin on May 1, and applications will be due by June 1, 2011. The 2011 Court Reform Grant Application will be made available on the Court’s website, courts.in.gov, and copies will also be mailed to all trial court judges during the first week of March.