October was National Youth Justice Awareness Month. Even though juvenile arrests have declined in recent years, last year in Indiana there were over 18,000 new delinquency or status offense filings. Status offenses are those that would not be considered a crime if committed by an adult, such as tobacco possession. Many of these juvenile offenders cannot afford legal counsel. The Indiana Public Defender Council (IPDC), “Council”, continued to gain momentum in its efforts to improve Indiana’s public defender system with a focus toward juvenile defendants.
In 2015, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded $205,000 to the Council to develop a state-wide strategy to improve the quality of, and access to, counsel for juvenile defendants. In collaboration with stakeholders in law enforcement, community leaders, and an IPDC-created advisory group, the Council identified deficiencies in the Indiana system, largely focusing on funding and access to resources in rural counties.
This year, the Council submitted their findings and recommendations to the OJJDP and received a second grant of almost $743,000 to implement their plans for reform.
Goals for Funding Use
- Reducing barriers to early appointment of counsel in delinquency and status cases at all critical stages;
- Increasing state resources to improve access to counsel for post-dispositional representation, especially those who are incarcerated, including appeals and civil legal services for re-entering youth;
- Creating a system of comprehensive and thorough legal advocacy that recognizes juvenile defense as a specialization through enhanced training opportunities, increased state support services, and access to experts, with particular focus in rural areas; and
- Enhancing current data collection systems to promote accuracy and include juvenile defense indicators.
Beginning on October 1, 2016, this award will help fund continued policy planning and implementation for two years.