Starke County Court Services announced this week that Juvenile Probation Officer Abby Columbia and Offender Reintegration Officer Brandon Pettit received a grant to launch a pilot program.
Continue readingThe Starke County Commissioners took action Monday night to unanimously approve a letter of support toward Starke County Court Services’ request for grant funding for Fiscal Year 2023.
Continue readingSeveral participants in programs with Starke County Court Services/Community Corrections Division are successful in completing those programs to make better life choices.
Continue readingA Hamlet man was arrested earlier this month after field officers from Starke County Court Services/Community Corrections Division reportedly found him in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Continue reading
A Knox woman was sentenced on a charge of attempted robbery in Starke Circuit Court Thursday morning.
Continue reading
A Knox man was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court last week on two counts of dealing in a narcotic drug as a Level 5 felony.
Continue reading
Individuals involved in Starke County’s criminal Justice System will now have increased access to available treatment services and resources thanks to a $60,000 grant that was recently awarded by the Indiana Office of Court Services.
Continue reading
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall accepted a plea agreement negotiated by Defense Attorney Richard Ballard and the State of Indiana in the case of Argos resident Richard LaFrance.
Continue readingTen Starke County representatives attended a training session at Indiana University’s South Bend campus this week on how to respond to mental health disorders, and substance abuse in the effort to combat opioid addiction.
Continue reading
Starke County Court Services Director Shawn Mattraw presented grant funding paperwork to the county commissioners Monday night for the Community Corrections, jail treatment programs and Pre-Trial Probation.
Continue reading
Santa will be at the Starke County Court Services office on Saturday, Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Starke County Annex Building No. 2 at 108 N. Pearl Street in Knox.
Starke County Court Services representatives will host a Fall-o-Ween Family Fun Fest event today for those participating in home detention supervision. Activities, food and prizes will be given to participants and their family members during the festivities at Wythogan Park in Knox.
Jan Dollahan Jr. was sentenced Thursday in Starke Circuit Court. Back in April, a jury found him guilty of criminal recklessness and invasion of privacy, after neighbors said he shot multiple rounds at their property, in an incident in May of 2016. Judge Kim Hall accepted those verdicts Thursday, according to court officials.
The Starke County Commissioners will discuss the courthouse elevator bid when they meet tonight.
The process of merging Starke County Community Corrections with the County Probation Department has been a smooth one, so far. That’s according to Shawn Mattraw. He’s the director of the new entity, known as Starke County Court Services. “Some of the concern some folks have shared is they felt maybe the Probation side might be swallowed up by Community Corrections, that we just want to take over everything, and that’s not the intent,” he says. “The intent is we want to make sure that we can provide our probation officers more resources to do their job more effectively.”
Eleven inmates in the Starke County Justice Center recently successfully completed the fifth Chemical Dependency and Addictions program. Eight men and three women graduated from the separate education sessions.
The Chemical Dependency and Addictions program, led by Porter-Starke Services Therapist Leo Smith, provides counseling services and substance abuse education to those who are incarcerated on drug-related crimes. The 14-week program focuses on self-awareness and self-improvement through individual commitment to change criminal thinking and addictive behavior. Stress management and anger and craving suppression skills are developed along with ways to deal with triggers. Critical reasoning and decision-making skills are taught. If you are looking to beat alcohol addiction there are also entities that help those not behind bars so you can get treated today, see page.
Those participating in the program who reaches the graduation stage write a goodbye letter to the drug of their choice. Guests who attend the graduation are encouraged to support the individual’s recovery and their transition into society. Beware of addiction to prescription drugs and know you can seek help from prescription drug addiction Liverpool rehab center.
In addition to Therapist Leo Smith’s 27 years of experience working with rehabilitating substance abusers, the effort to host this program is shared with Jail Warden Phill Cherry, Jail Commander Nathan Caudill, Starke County Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall, the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office, and Starke County Court Services.
Photos provided by the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.
The recent merger of Starke County Community Corrections with the County Probation Department will result in better services, as well as cost savings. That’s according to Shawn Mattraw. He’s the director of the new entity, known as Starke County Court Services. “Well, the big difference is that it’s going to [be] a cost savings,” he says, “The past structure, when we were separate entities, we had a director in Community Corrections and a chief probation officer. Those positions were funded pretty nicely. Now, those positions have been eliminated, and it’s just me.”
