The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute will be funding the new Probation Incentives and Sanctions Project, which is aimed at reforming the current probation standards. Members of the workgroup include experienced probation officers, judges, prosecutors, public defenders and judicial center staff. Attorney Gregory A. Miller was selected to be one of the public defenders, bringing a fresh and insightful perspective to the group.
The project includes several improvements on the probation officer's ability to enforce appropriate consequences for violators, as well as reducing unneeded jail time policies. With the improvements, it could possibly reduce community costs as well, cutting down the number of unnecessary inmates. This will also help the public safety concerns by opening up jail space for actual dangerous criminals. Attorney Gregory A. Miller has represented numerous probation violators in court before, understanding the current difficulties and complexities surrounding the process in Indiana.
The improvements will also focus on allowing probation officers to assess the offenders' risk potential, giving them more freedom to decide when it's necessary for short jail stays or longer ones. Without the required court hearings for every case, the experienced probation officers can now make the judgment call for when court proceedings are beneficial or not.
