County agencies partner together for new work release program

With the county's work release program set to commence on Monday, representatives of Putnam County Community Corrections, Sheriff's Department, Probation, Circuit Court and County Council, as well as local attorneys, gather for a tour of the facility at the Putnam County Jail on Friday. Made possible through a grant from the Department of Correction, the program is a partnership between Community Corrections and PCSD. (Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN)

A grant from the state and a partnership between two county agencies will soon give Putnam County's judges another sentencing option for certain offenders who wish to remain employed while serving their sentences.

Officials from Putnam County Community Corrections and the Putnam County Sheriff's Department on Friday unveiled the new work release program on Friday with a tour of a recently repurposed area of the Putnam County Jail.

A $114,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Correction helped with startup on the project, as well as funding new jail officers who will work under the command of the jail, but as Community Corrections employees.

Work release will be another option for judges and lawyers for those convicted of misdemeanors and low-level felonies. The option will lie somewhere between incarceration and home detention.

"Our initiative is to keep people working and keep them in the community and supporting their families as well as possible," Community Corrections Director Jamie France said. "All the while still holding them accountable."

It will be less stringent than full-fledged incarceration, as the offenders will be able to leave the jail to go to their jobs daily. However, it will be more demanding than home detention, as most time will still be spent at the jail.

Essentially, participants in the program will be allowed to leave each day to go to their place of employment. Enough time will be allowed for travel time as well as getting a meal, if desired.

At the end of the day, participants will be given an hour plus travel time with which they can go to a "home base" somewhere in Putnam County. This will allow them time for dinner, a shower and changing clothes, as well as family time.

The offenders will then return to the jail, where they will check their personal items into lockers before entering one of two rooms set aside for work release.

Instead of traditional, locked-down individual or shared cells, the rooms accommodate bunk space for eight to 12 inmates, a shower area and a pair of tables.

"Sheriff (Scott) Stockton was kind enough to set aside some cells for us," France said.

Participants will not be part of the normal jail population, and the sheriff's department will not provide free food or medical services for them.

The county was able to procure grant funding through a competitive grant process in which applications exceeded $13 million for the $5 million program.

With a 25 out of 25 grant score, Putnam County was funded for the entire amount it requested.

"It was quite competitive," France said. "We were very fortunate."

France told the Putnam County Commissioners at a recent meeting that the continuation of program is dependent upon further grant funding. However, if the program is a success, the money should be available, as the pool of money grows to $20 million statewide next year.

Funding will also spring from program fees, as the offenders will pay $17 a day to take part in the program.

With the facility now operational, the program will commence on Monday, Feb. 1.