Grant Approved For The DoC
WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Commissioners approved a grant today, Tuesday, May 17, for the Department of Corrections to keep running.
Kosciusko Community Corrections Director Kurt Jones asked the commissioners to approve a $356,200 grant the Indiana Department of Corrections has granted the DoC to hire employees and the electronic monitoring equipment for home detention. At the moment Jones is the only employee for the DOC and is in the process of hiring a home detentions officer and a secretary will be hired by July 1.
Kosciusko County Commissioner President Ron Truex asked Jones, “Your position depends on this grant?” Which Jones simply replied, “Correct.”
Kosciusko County Commissioner Vice-president Brad Jackson asked, “If the grants go away?” Jones replied, “If the grants go away, I go away.”
Commissioner Bob Conley said, “I hate to start something that’s going to blow up in our face down the road, create another layer of government the taxpayers are going to have to fund.”
Jones addressed this concern by telling the commissioners the DoC runs with IDOC grant money and could have the potential of becoming self-funding with user fees from people who pay for their services. “Once you get a large enough program and get it rolling you can go off the fines and fees and pay your monthly bills, your salaries and can be a self-contained organization.” Jones also told the commissioners the grant was very generous for getting the program started.
Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine interjected and explained to the commissioners the difference between the DoC and work release. He talked about how people going through the DoC never actually serve any physical time, unless they violate their probation, while those on work release are incarcerated at the time. Rovenstine told the commissioners the DoC program (potentially) kept people out of jail, which kept jail population down, which in turn kept costs down.
The commissioners thanked Rovenstine for his explanation and decided to approve the grant.
In other business:
- Margaret Cousins was reappointed to the Milford Library board for another year.
- Marsha McSherry was accepted as the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator.
- Scott Tilden, county highway superintendent, told the commissioners the 4,000-feet of CR 900W, just south of SR 25, was almost completed.
- The Justice Building has lost three of its five boilers and Ron Robinson, Kosciusko County administrator, received permission from the commissioners to discuss with County Attorney Chad Miner on whether bids would have to be sent out for the boilers, or if it was considered emergency status and could be bought/repaired outright.