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Commissioners: Justice Center Expansion to Benefit Community Corrections, Probation Services
BOONE COUNTY, Ind. (August 23, 2022) — Several benefits are expected for Boone County’s Community Corrections Program and Probation Department as part of the recently approved Justice Center Expansion Project. Notably, the project will include expanded office space needs due to growing capacity.
“We understand the needs our rapidly-growing county faces. Over the last several years, the Boone County Commissioners have been working extensively with Sheriff Mike Nielsen and other stakeholders to provide additional mental health services for the county, keeping potential offenders out of jail,” explained Commissioner Tom Santelli. “We are looking forward to these benefits that the expanded Justice Center will provide to our citizens for decades to come.”
Community Corrections Program
The Community Corrections program in Boone County provides a cost-effective, community-based alternative to incarceration by providing supervision and evidence-based programs to motivate adult and juvenile offenders towards positive citizenship.
“The Justice Center is going to revolutionize how Community Corrections does business,” said Executive Director of Boone County Community Corrections Micheal Nance. “It allows us many more options to address client needs, which will allow us to focus on keeping people out of jail and preventing them from returning to the criminal justice system.”
The expanded Justice Center will also make way for Community Corrections to stay in the same facility as the Probation Department – which will increase collaboration among the two entities.
Probation Department
The Boone County Probation Department provides an alternative to serving a sentence in jail or prison for a criminal conviction. Each offender placed on probation has been given written terms of their supervision, prepared by the sentencing judge.
The expanded Justice Center will include benefits for the Probation Department, such as improved efficiency with court hearings by utilizing court teams, video hearings, etc. Boone County Probation and Community Corrections have always worked closely together in the same space as a benefit to the clients – since many utilize both programs.
“We look forward to continuing our department’s collaboration at the new facility to maintain that benefit to the clients,” said Boone County Chief Probation Officer Steve Owens. “When a probationer violates their terms, we will have many more options to recommend as a sanction with the new programs Community Corrections intends to implement,”
The Boone County Commissioners are looking forward to seeing these positive changes.
For more information on the Justice Center, visit https://www.livinginboonecounty.com/
