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Public defender asks council to fund social-service staff and use pilot reimbursement to offset costs
Summary
The Vigo County public defender urged the council to accept state pilot reimbursements (40% reimbursement for misdemeanors) and to fund social-service workers and parent advocates to expand county's case navigation and reduce prolonged CHINS/TPR timelines.
Vigo County's public defender told the budget committee the office seeks county backing for several staffing and contract requests tied to a state pilot program and long-running child welfare caseload pressures.
The public defender reported that the county is part of a state pilot that will reimburse 40 percent of certain misdemeanor-related costs and asked the council to consider the projected reimbursement when reviewing requests for new or repurposed positions. The public defender said the pilot could return roughly $255,000 to $256,000 in reimbursements to the county if the program begins as scheduled in October.
Separately, the office asked the council to continue (or locally fund) social-service staff and parent advocate roles that the state pilot had supported for juvenile CHINS and TPR work. The office cited an independent study funded as part of the pilot showing measurable improvements where a parent advocate or social-service worker was attached to a case: advocates attended case meetings, went to court with parents and provided direct navigation, which reduced time to permanency in the pilot sample. The public defender asked the county to absorb some positions into the public defender's office as social-service workers and case managers so they can assist both juvenile and adult populations; previously, state grant rules limited some pilot-funded positions to juvenile matters only.
The public defender also requested a contract allocation of $30,000 from supplemental (fee) funds to staff an additional permanency/TPR courtroom with contract attorneys during the year while the court transitions and backlogs are resolved. The public defender said those contract dollars are intended to prevent continuances and move cases to disposition.
Committee members asked how the requests would compare after the 40% reimbursement; the public defender said the office aims to show the net cost to the county after state reimbursement and that the pilot comes with reporting and audit obligations. The office noted the pilot required substantial compliance with staffing ratios (0.75 support staff per attorney) and has a July 2026 compliance deadline, giving the county time to meet staffing levels while still qualifying for reimbursement.
The committee did not vote on funding and asked the public defender to provide final cost tables showing gross costs, expected reimbursement and net county share.
