Marion County Community Corrections was established by a local ordinance in 1983 following the passage of the Community Corrections statute by the Indiana state legislature. Community Corrections had 2 main objectives when it was first established:
- First and foremost, relieve overcrowding at the state level by diverting offenders from commitments to the Indiana Department of Correction and,
- Second, encourage and enhance coordination of local correctional efforts.
Each year, Marion County submits a grant request to the Indiana Department of Correction asking for funding for programs to accomplish the above-stated objectives. The primary programs that the Department of Correction has funded have been our correction center component, residential/work release component and our home detention/electronic monitoring component.
Over the past 15 years additional programming has been added. We now operate a minimum security jail facility designed to relieve overcrowding at the Marion County Jail. Also, other agencies receive funding through the Community Corrections Advisory Board to operate additional programs for both adults and juveniles.
The Marion County Community Corrections Advisory Board is comprised of a broad spectrum of individuals. They include the Mayor, the Sheriff, the Prosecutor, the Director of the County Welfare Office, a judge with criminal jurisdiction, the Chief Public Defender, an educational administrator, a mental health administrator, a private correctional facility representative, a victim representative, an ex-offender, and 4 lay persons. The group sets policy for the agency and approves all applications for grant funds submitted to the Department of Correction.