Whitley County advisory board hears certification success, pretrial cost estimate and proposed association fee to hire lobbyist

Whitley County Community Corrections Advisory Board members met Dec. 4, 2025, approved their Sept. 4 minutes and spent the session hearing program updates and planning for next year.

The board heard that a certification visit on Oct. 28 produced no findings. "They did not have any findings," said Speaker 2, who reported the program received written certification shortly afterward and that the treatment court had three active participants with a fourth approved to start Dec. 23. Members praised Judge Renschler’s role during certification: "Everything that we appreciate and admire about Judge Renschler ... will contribute to the success of this program," said Speaker 3.

Pretrial-services staff reported 361 active cases and that recertification is scheduled for March 9–10, 2026. Speaker 4 presented an estimate that, in 2024, Whitley County would have incurred $600,474 in county costs if two individuals who did not post bonds had instead remained in custody. The figure was presented as an illustrative fiscal impact tied to pretrial releases; no new policy was adopted at the meeting.

Residential and home-detention reports described current caseloads and staffing plans. Home detention had 22 adults (14 male, 8 female), and residential programs reported 54 people in the facility. Staff said Brenda, the program nurse, is reducing her hours; the board discussed a recently retired nurse from Parkview who may job-share the position.

Speakers highlighted reentry and veterans-treatment court activity: the veterans court has 13 participants (one recent completion, 12 active), the board recognized eight graduates at a Nov. 13 ceremony at the Peabody Library and noted ongoing partnerships with Purdue Extension and Easterseals of Northeast Indiana for training and holiday events. Program certification for the veterans-related work runs through Aug. 17, 2026.

The director also updated the board on grant matters. An application to the opioid-settlement match grant was not awarded because the funder prioritized new initiatives, the director said, and federal grant distributions were delayed by a recent government shutdown. The county still expects funding for reentry nursing and adult-crisis services but the timing and amounts are not yet known.

On association business, the board discussed a statewide community-corrections association plan to hire a lobbyist and to ask member counties to pay a $500 annual agency fee. "The lobbyist firm is going to charge $3,000 a month the first year, but then it will go up to $5,000 a month," Speaker 3 said, noting that a flat fee raises equity questions for smaller counties. Several members asked whether contributions should be assessed pro rata by population rather than as a flat fee.

Staff also reported ongoing logistics for moving offices into a new building, aiming to complete the transition by February 2026; the move will involve security, door openings, and IT setup, and an open house is planned after relocation.

The board noted that donations of small Kroger gift cards for program participants were accepted and that the auditor’s office advised maintaining a distribution log — gift cards will not be received into county accounts.

The board scheduled its next full advisory meeting for March 5, 2026. With no further business, Speaker 1 moved to adjourn; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

The meeting record reflects routine program updates, a certification with no findings, planning for a facility move and active discussion about how smaller counties should contribute to a shared lobbying contract. No legislation or formal budget action was taken at the session.