Articles

Work in progress: Juvenile justice mental health, safety concerns addressed in new law

Concerns about the safety and well-being of Hoosier youth housed in juvenile justice facilities across the state have drawn attention from the U.S. Department of Justice on multiple occasions. Action was taken to remedy those concerns, but the root of the problem facing Indiana’s juvenile justice system is still wound in a tangled mess that lawmakers and juvenile advocates are trying to unravel.

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Assessment and Intervention Center takes on broad mandate

When Indianapolis’ Assessment and Intervention Center opened in December 2020, it did so in the middle of the construction site that has become the Community Justice Campus, during what was then the deadliest and most infectious month of the pandemic. Since then, the AIC, originally intended to divert low-level, nonviolent offenders from Marion County’s criminal justice apparatus, has conducted more than 1,700 assessments for Indianapolis residents struggling with mental health or substance abuse disorders.

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‘A tenacious spirit’: Chief Justice Rush commends perseverance of judiciary in unprecedented times

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush on Jan. 12 presented her eighth State of the Judiciary address to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, state lawmakers and fellow judges, providing an update on the condition of Indiana’s courts. She returned to the Indiana House of Representatives chamber to address the General Assembly following a virtual address in 2021.

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Appeal of temporary involuntary commitment dismissed, but dissent calls for Supreme Court clarification

A woman’s appeal of her involuntary mental health commitment has been dismissed as moot because she has already been released from commitment. However, the Court of Appeals of Indiana split sharply in the decision, with the dissenting judge calling on the Indiana Supreme Court to clarify recent precedent on how appeals of temporary involuntary commitments should be decided.

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Finding solid ground: Young lawyer well-being suffers after 2020

According to Bloomberg Law’s Attorney Workload and Hours report from Q1 of 2021, well-being declined among attorneys, particularly those who have practiced for less than seven years. The study was the second iteration of the Attorney Workload and Hours Survey, which focused on lawyers’ experiences with job satisfaction and well-being in 2020.

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