Indiana Judicial Branch: Office of Court Services: Initiatives

Specialized courts & community corrections

Risk Assessment

A series of tools used by courts and corrections to evaluate the potential risks and needs of defendants and convicted offenders at various stages of criminal proceedings and rehabilitation

Pretrial Release

A statewide bail reform project in which judges assess the risk of releasing non-violent criminal defendants without bail and provide supervision until trial

Court Alcohol & Drug Program

Certification and staff training for programs designed to provide alternatives to incarceration for criminal defendants addicted to drugs or alcohol

Problem-Solving Courts

Certification and staff training for innovative courts that address specific problems faced by some criminal offenders, including drug abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI)

A program to move low-risk juvenile offenders from secure detention into community-based alternative programs

Probation

Management of Indiana’s probation system, certification and training for probation officers, and transfer of supervision from one jurisdiction to another

Court management & statistics

Bulk Data Requests

Forms to request court data in bulk and user agreements for approved confidential and non-confidential data requests.

Trial Court & Probation Statistics

Annually published statistics on court cases and probation, weighted caseload measures, forms & instructions.

Court Reporter Handbook & Resources

Guides, tutorials and training for court reporters to aid in the preparation of electronic transcripts for appellate cases.

Local Rules

A program to coordinate and publish local court rules and ensure courts are compliant with Trial Rule 81

Senior Judges

A program for state courts to use the services of retired or former judges to supplement existing judicial resources

Court Reform Grants

A grant program for state courts to improve operations, access to justice, technology and other infrastructure.

Families in court

Family Court Grants

A program that focuses on families with more than one case pending in the legal system (multiple case families), or families with complex cases or at-risk situations

Court Improvement Program

Assistance to state courts in caring for at-risk families and abused and neglected children

Guardian Ad Litem / Court Appointed Special Advocates (GAL/CASA)

A program to train community volunteers to speak up for children who find themselves, through no fault of their own, involved in the juvenile justice system

Guardian Ad Litem for Family Law Cases

A program to certify trained Guardians ad Litem to serve in civil family law cases.

Adult Guardianship

A resource for courts and the general public on all issues related to adult guardianship

Family Violence Resource

Assistance for state courts on matters related to family violence, including civil protection orders, case processing, best practices, and training

Local ADR Plans

Assistance for state courts in developing plans for alternative dispute resolution in domestic relations cases that are compliant with state law and best practices

Initiatives