The most sweeping of the 200-plus new laws that took effect in Indiana Tuesday is the one that overhauls the state’s criminal code for the first time in nearly three decades. Work on this comprehensive bill was bipartisan and diligent, taking about six years to come to a conclusion.
Two main thrusts of the law will keep people who commit really serious offenses in prison longer, and put fewer people who commit lower-level crimes behind bars. In addition, judges will have more flexibility in sentencing.
Those are all positives. Too often, stories surface about people convicted of heinous crimes being released into society after serving half or less of their prison sentences. On the other hand, way too many people have been sent away for drug-related crimes that would have been better addressed by treatment programs than imprisonment.
State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, was one of the legislators who worked hard on this issue, including chairing a study committee on the topic in 2010. He should be and is proud of the final product, but told the H-T in March he expects it could be five more years until the law is fully implemented and its impact fully realized.
When that happens, society as well as individual victims and their families will be better served because serious felons will be off the streets for longer. Low-level offenders’ lives will have more of a chance of being salvaged because, rather than receiving long prison sentences, they’ll get help for addictions and mental health issues. Crime could be reduced because repeat offenders will get the help they need rather than continually turning to minor crimes to feed their habit; and the state will be able to save money by not building more prisons.
But until this major change plays out, there could be some transition pains.
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