Low Recidivism Rate (Inmates "Revolving Door Syndrome" by Returning to Jail after Completing Their Sentence) and the Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support Program (IRACS) are a SUCCESS STORY at the Scott County Jail.

Scott County- As previously reported, the Scott County Jail again passed the annual Indiana State Jail Inspection, marking the fifth year in a row the jail facility has passed this grueling inspection. So, what about the Scott County Jail, which Sheriff Goodin refers to as "a reformatory", that makes it special or different than other jails you might ask? A vision, shared by all who work within the walls of the facility, and those Sheriff's Deputies who bring offenders to jail once they commit a crime. VISION - an idea, a dream, or a revelation are a few examples of what a vision is. Five (5) years ago, at the beginning of 2019, the Scott County Sheriff's Office Team had a vision, where every inmate incarcerated at the jail would have an opportunity to become a better citizen or person while incarcerated and once released, a chance to make every day confined count for something positive in their life. The vast number of programs within the jail have helped with this vision, and in June of 2022, the Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support Program (IRACS) was the latest program started within the Scott County Jail, one of five jails within the State of Indiana selected that year as "pilot program facilities" for IRACS across the state. The DATA has now started to come in, where Scott County was once known as a revolving door jail by others, we are now able to laud the success of our corrections team and our relationships with our judges, prosecutor, and defense counsels. DATA recently released by IRACS Project Coordinator Lindsey Huff revealed Scott County has the lowest recidivism rate of any IRACS facility, at a remarkable 81%. Folks, that is 81 people out of every 100 who have participated in the IRACS program at the Scott County Jail and have NOT returned to jail for any reason. As compared to the State of Indiana, who reported a 69% recidivism rate and the National Rate of 52% (both percentages based upon a study from 2020-2023), the Scott County recidivism rate last year at 81% "knocks it out of the park"! Ms. Huff provided the following additional Scott County IRACS data for 2023.

• 599 inmates were offered IRACS services in 2023.
• 481 inmates accepted those services.
• 62% of those served completed the entire IRACS Reentry into the Community Program, which also involves 30 days of post-incarceration work by the inmate.
• The jail experienced a total population decrease of 13% overall. This decrease saves taxpayers the cost of inmate incarceration while making certain those in jail receive needed services, ensuring they will have a chance to succeed once released.

Sheriff Goodin stressed the following... "There is a ton of work that goes into each program, performed by a remarkable staff of Jail Deputies, program volunteers, and the incredible partnership we have with the IRACS Team and the judicial system.  As you read the above data, please know we are proud of what has been accomplished, but there is more work to be done. For every inmate who returns to us, we will methodically investigate the why, looking for what we may have missed, so we can better serve you and our community with a better citizen once they complete their sentence and are released. We don't want a single inmate returning to the Scott County Jail for committing a crime...not one. Again, this is another example of how we are doing successfully what other jails and communities are training to do".

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Dawson