Criminal Justice Planning Council Meeting - July 27, 2026
Criminal Justice Planning Council Meeting - July 27, 2026
This meeting of the Marion County Criminal Justice Planning Council, chaired by Prosecutor Ryan Mears, convened on July 27, 2026, to discuss jail population statistics, state funding cuts to problem-solving courts, enforcement of Airbnb regulations, and updates on electronic monitoring and a domestic violence victims app. The council approved minutes from the previous meeting and heard public testimony.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes from the June 18, 2026 meeting were approved by a motion, seconded, and passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- A speaker (identity not specified) expressed strong opposition to Airbnb parties, stating they are dangerous to neighborhoods, involve shots fired, and called on state legislators to enact criminal penalties rather than just administrative fines. The speaker argued that both Marion County and Hamilton County are affected and that the State House should protect counties.
Discussion Items
- Jail Population Report: Major Shanklin presented the jail inmate count as of July 27, 2026: 2,610 in custody (2,193 males, 389 females, 28 juvenile males, 0 juvenile females). The facility was at 47% of capacity (crisis mode threshold is 80%). The report included 122 murder charges, 101 Level 1 felonies, 174 Level 2, 262 Level 3, 324 Level 4, 72 Level 5, 622 Level 6, 197 misdemeanors, 43 MC (other) cases, and 58 others. There were 197 IDOC detainers and 83 parole holds. Sheriff Forestal noted that the 280 IDOC/parole holds cost Marion County $85 per day per inmate but the state reimburses only $42, resulting in a $3.5 million annual shortfall absorbed by local taxpayers. The sheriff also highlighted that the jail population has consistently exceeded the 2,400 funded capacity since January 2026, except for a brief period. Discussion ensued about other counties shifting inmates to Marion County, including a juvenile from Hancock County, which the sheriff said he would reconsider.
- State Cuts to Problem-Solving Courts: Prosecutor Mears raised the issue of state funding cuts to problem-solving courts (drug court, veterans court, re-entry court) via the Department of Correction (DOC) grant. Scott Hall, Executive Director of Marion County Community Corrections, explained that last year the state cut diversion, probation, and a sheriff’s treatment program entirely. This year an additional $7 million statewide cut eliminated funding for re-entry court, drug court, and veterans court in Marion County, leaving only one problem-solving court still funded. The cuts were not formula-based; some counties lost up to 30% of their budget. Hall noted that the DOC grant notification came with only a weekend’s notice, and the city controller (Andrew Berkeley) was not informed in advance. The cuts are expected to increase prison commitments; for example, Vanderburgh County will see 120 more individuals sent to prison annually. The prosecutor emphasized that these courts have proven successful in reducing recidivism and incarceration.
- Airbnb Enforcement: Prosecutor Mears reported that he and Chief Adams are working on more aggressive enforcement of existing ordinances against disruptive Airbnb parties. However, current fines are limited (e.g., $300), providing little deterrence. Councilor Robinson asked about state-level involvement; Mears suggested a state law allowing criminal prosecution would be more effective but acknowledged the city council has done what it can with its authority. The sheriff remained non-controversial.
- Work Release Electronic Monitoring: A clarification was made that individuals sentenced to work release at Duvall are now automatically placed on electronic monitoring, correcting a previous assumption. This will also streamline verification of employment locations for overtime shifts.
- Domestic Violence Victims App: An update was provided on a mobile app for domestic violence survivors, expected to launch by October 1, 2026 (with September 1 as an aggressive target). The app, voluntary and installed on the survivor’s phone, notifies authorities if an offender comes within a predetermined radius. It will supplement existing victim zones around homes.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes from June 18, 2026, were approved.
- The council discussed the need to address the IDOC reimbursement shortfall and overcrowding, but no formal action was taken.
- The council noted the funding cuts to problem-solving courts and expressed concern; no motion was made.
- The council acknowledged the upcoming domestic violence app and the electronic monitoring clarification as operational improvements.
- The meeting was adjourned by motion and second.
Additional Notes
- No agenda or minutes were provided with the source material; the summary is based solely on the transcript.
Meeting Transcript
Well yeah, for the for all I I don't care if that hard number is there. That's about three million dollars. So they don't give us the forty three dollars. So I'll be speaking of uh some study session for uh as a dissociation one thing that you're pushing for is uh funding because it's not a business how to problem solve for the version programs of the C and then prison numbers have to take anything else in uh the the under project release file. That's one yeah, the share association meeting the last week and see commissioner was there. You continue to do that, you know, so just tell him it's money that comes back out of here because you only pay us. I understand why he does it. It's caused effective heavy, it's two hundred and ninety-four dollars, and I sat there in Miami. Yeah. Yeah. True. And I would actually mission, so actually don't get the four dollars. But when it comes time to budget pass. I like the S. That's right. Is it just that DOC's budget went down? And actually they were one of two statewide agencies that actually got in place. Now they didn't get as much as they originally asked for. But they still got increased. So they reduced their grant funding to make up for what they needed. Yeah. Now most of this is us reading T because they obviously not four cut how any of this has worked. Um we've reached out to a number of legislators though that had no idea because you know they they voted on appropriation increased their bucket. Right. And then they're finding out that corrections got cuts and why you know, in several counties, it's bad. I mean, relative to speaking, we didn't do it. Hi. Always talking about you. I thought uh I thought you might cancel the meeting so you can sit and watch the uh stream game down for what? I use find out. Oh, or they're gonna go. It's interesting. Yeah. I guess we have more than challenging the things. Yeah, I'm not a few other four. Yeah. All right, well, we'll go ahead and get started. My name is Ryan Mears on the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Welcome to the criminal justice planning council meeting on July twenty-seventh of twenty twenty-six. I appreciate everybody's willingness to re-engage with us uh one week later as we uh I think there's a number of conflicts that uh individuals had for uh last week's schedule meeting, but I appreciate uh everybody being here. Uh I guess I'll start with uh introductions. Counselor Robinson, can we start with you? Sheriff Kerry Forestal. Uh Andrew Berkeley, Director of OPHS. Scott Hall, executive director of Maine County Committee Corrections. I appreciate everybody being here. Uh in front of you, you have the criminal justice pointing council minutes from our last meeting on mid eighteenth of twenty twenty-six. Uh and at this point in time, would uh anybody be willing to make a motion regarding the minutes. We have a motion to approve the minutes, and that has been properly seconded. All of those in favor.
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