ANGOLA — Steuben County is joining the ranks of the Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative.
Steuben is one of 13 counties chosen to enter the program this year. Once the program is up and running, about a third of Indiana’s 92 will be involved.
The goal of the program is to try to place juveniles in alternative programs that will possibly prevent them from going into detention or formal juvenile proceedings.
“Every county is beginning to recognize the need that is there,” said Bobbi Gilbert, juvenile probation officer.
JDAI is a national juvenile justice reform initiative developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that aims to improve outcomes for children in the justice system while ensuring public safety. Sometimes children in trouble need secure detention, but other times there are alternatives.
Chief Probation Officer Pam Feller said a local team of eight individuals is going to attend a conference in March that start providing framework for the program.
While there will be certain guidelines to follow, the local program will be tailored to meet the needs of Steuben County.
“Basically it’s money (for programming) to defer juveniles from going into detention,” Feller said.
“We’re going to give it our best shot,” said Steuben Circuit Court Judge Allen Wheat, who handles juvenile cases in Steuben County.
“I’m excited about it,” Gilbert said.
The grant will provide up to $50,000 annually for four years to get the program institutionalized. The money will decline afterward. The thinking is once the programming is in place and juvenile justice and detention costs decrease, the cost of the program can be absorbed locally, Gilbert said.
Data from juvenile cases in the 19 counties where the program is in place shows that the average daily population in secure juvenile detention has decreased by 34 percent and admissions to secure detention has dropped 44 percent, taking 2014 statistics and comparing them to data from prior to the program’s start, information from the program said.
Like the other counties, Steuben will have a local steering committee comprised of individuals from many walks of life.
Steuben County has many alternative programs in place, and Feller just sees that growing with the JADI initiative.
The JDAI began in Indiana in 2006. With the expansion of the 13 counties this year, JDAI will include 32 counties, a news release said. JDAI and other juvenile reforms have allowed the Department of Correction to save over $15 million annually, and re-arrest rates have declined from 25 percent to 10 percent in JDAI counties.
A state steering committee will provide support to the local steering committee.