Community Corrections_logoThursday afternoon members of the Marshall County Community Correction Advisory Board met in the Court House.  Three new members were introduced; Plymouth Community School Corporation Superintendent Andy Hartley will fulfill the term for the education administrator position that was held by LaVille AD Will Hostrawser who resigned.  David Hinderlider, the plant manager of ITAMCO in Argos will fill the seat vacated by Terry Clemens who was the layperson on the board and resigned.  The final new member, Michael VanVactor was unable to attend the meeting.  He is filling the position of a former client or x-offender.  He has agreed to serve a 4-year term on the board.

Board Chairman, Judge Dean Colvin asked about the statutory goal set for number of board members and Ward Byers, Director of Community Corrections said it is 22.    He also noted that the Department of Child Services has a seat on the board but hasn’t had representation at the meetings since the beginning.

Byers gave a monthly snapshot of clients being served.  He said it’s a fluid number that changes daily.  As of the noon meeting there were 119 people sentenced currently on ankle bracelets to home detention with 14 of them being pre-trial release.   7 are Community Transition clients who have received early release from the IN Department of Corrections .  They are monitored and serve the remainder of the sentence with Community Corrections who assists with transitioning that offender back into the community.   Byers said they are reimbursed by the state for the Community Transition clients at $25 a day.  There are also 9 clients on Community Corrections for Child Support enforcement.

Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman said, “Community Correction is a great concept and it’s the way of the future for low-level offenders.”

Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel is an advisory board member.  He said Wednesday’s population in the jail was 237.   Ward Byers said Community Corrections helped the jail out last week by taking 11 and putting them on ankle bracelets with the majority of them being pre-trial while a few were already sentenced.

Board member Judy Stone, president of the County Council asked, “What is the process to move an inmate from the jail to community corrections?”

Ward Byers explained the process which generally includes a request for a bond reduction filed by their attorney.  The court then asks Community Corrections to do a pre-trial bond assessment to determine risk.  Byers said after completing the assessment they file a recommendation with the court.  During the bond hearing both sides argues and the judge makes the determination whether the bond is reduced, they are released on their own recognizances or placed in community corrections.