When a person is placed on probation, there is an opportunity to enhance public safety by helping change the probationer’s behavior so that he does not commit more crimes. All too often, we miss that opportunity. Sometimes our failure is due to a lack of knowledge about how to affect change. Sometimes it is missed due to a belief that criminal thinking cannot be changed. Through research, we now know what works a … [Read more...] about EPICS: Effective Practices in Community Supervision
Features
Press Examine Court Reports
With 1.6 million new cases filed in Indiana trial courts and the launch of a new website that allows court statistics to be compared, there was plenty to talk about at a recent press conference. Statewide media gathered in the Supreme Court Law Library on November 4th to review several reports released by the Supreme Court. The 2012 Judicial Service Report, Probation Report, the Supreme Court Annual Report, and a new … [Read more...] about Press Examine Court Reports
Our Children's Potential
At a recent conference, judges from across the state were treated to a first-rate performance by the Fort Wayne Voices of Unity Youth Choir. The remarkable poise and professional sound of the young choir led the judges to a standing ovation.The majority of this special edition of Indiana Court Times focuses on children in need, troubled youth and difficult family situations—yet it cannot be ignored that there are m … [Read more...] about Our Children's Potential
Indiana Juvenile Case Data
For over thirty-eight years, Indiana’s courts have diligently reported information about their caseloads, their finances, and the services they provide, such as probation, guardian ad litem advocates, and court interpreters. The following tables comprise state-wide juvenile data compiled from detailed reports filed by every court in the state and published in an annual Judicial Service Report, which is available on t … [Read more...] about Indiana Juvenile Case Data
CHINS UP: New tools to measure milestones in child welfare cases
In dependency cases, “a child’s sense of time is extremely important.” Allen Superior Court, Family Relations Division, Judge Charles Pratt emphasized this in a recent training on the new CHINS (Child in Need of Services) Timeliness Measures. Juvenile judges must be conscious of how court performance, including delays, affects children in their jurisdictions. The new timeliness measures being implemented by Indiana’s … [Read more...] about CHINS UP: New tools to measure milestones in child welfare cases