Ex-Charlestown zoo owner released from jail as nonprofit is dissolved
The controversial owner of a now-defunct Charlestown zoo is vowing to “prepare for war” after his roadside attraction was formally dissolved.
Jails
Articles
Supreme Court arguments set in child neglect case after defendant released from jail
Indiana Supreme Court justices are set to hear oral argument in a neglect and battery case next week, where a man accused of battering a toddler was ordered released from jail earlier this year by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Indiana AG candidate calls for Indiana to legalize pot
The Democratic candidate for Indiana attorney general is calling on the state to legalize marijuana, saying that doing so would reduce the state’s prison and jail populations and generate millions of dollars for public education.
COA affirms reincarceration of man erroneously released years early
A man who was erroneously released from prison more than two years early must return to the Department of Correction after the Indiana Court of Appeals declined to adopt a doctrine that would award him credit for the time he was free.
Escaped Kentucky inmate captured in southern Indiana
An inmate who escaped from a Kentucky jail last month by climbing through a hole in a jail window has been captured in southern Indiana, authorities said.
Police: 3 charged in neglect of Indiana woman in their care
A southeastern Indiana woman has been charged with neglect of a dependent and criminal confinement after a straitjacket allegedly was put on a 22-year-old woman in her care.
Marion County inmate dies after alleged assault by inmate
A 38-year-old inmate at the Marion County Jail has died after alleged assault by another inmate, authorities said Sunday.
COA affirms denial of accused killer’s release in drug deal case
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a St. Joseph County man’s motion for release on bail after he was arrested and charged with murder stemming from a fatal drug deal.
Web Exclusive: Artwork created by inmates highlights recovery, healing from substance abuse
The biblical words “love is patient, love is kind,” have significant meaning to close friends Lonisha Johnson and Kristy Johnson, both of whom are incarcerated at the Clark County Jail.
ISBA section calls for nonviolent sentencing reforms
More than six years after sweeping criminal code reforms were enacted in Indiana, a section of the Indiana State Bar Association is calling for additional sentencing reforms to establish parity with those who received longer sentences before the reforms were enacted.
Jeffersonville library showcases jail inmates’ ‘Art of Recovery’
For Angela Jackson, a woman incarcerated in the Clark County Jail on drug charges, creating art is a form of meditation that stills her mind. She’s one of about 15 people from the jail with art on display at the Jeffersonville Township Public Library through the end of the month in a series titled “Unchained: Art of Recovery from the Clark County Jail.”
State police probe jail death of woman held in isolation
State police are investigating the death of a mother of four who was found unresponsive last weekend in a cell at a northeastern Indiana jail where she was being held in isolation. She died after spending several days in jail after she was arrested on a warrant on a misdemeanor possession of marijuana charge, online court records show.
Man charged with killing wife whose head found in cellar
A Crawfordsville man has been charged with killing his wife whose severed head was found buried in his cellar, authorities said.
Prosecutors: Envelope DNA linked man to cold case rapes, assaults
A man is being held in Shelbyville on a $20 million bond after he was linked to a series of sexual assaults in a central Indiana county more than 30 years ago by his DNA on an envelope for a utility bill payment, authorities said.
Studies show initial success in state pretrial release assessments
With the implementation of Criminal Rule 26 in January, courts across Indiana have been required to begin using evidence-based practices to make pretrial release decisions. But do those practices actually improve the criminal justice system?
Suspended trials create backlog in Vanderburgh County courts
Jury trials suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic has created a backlog of cases, including in southwestern Indiana. Hundreds of people are jailed in Evansville awaiting trial.
7th Circuit halts COVID-19 release for man convicted in IU student’s murder
The man convicted in the 2000 murder of Indiana University student Jill Behrman must stay in prison while his habeas case is on appeal, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in a decision vacating a release order issued less than two weeks ago.
Inmates seek prison release due to COVID-19
Almost immediately after the coronavirus reached the United States, criminal justice advocates sounded the alarm on behalf of the incarcerated. Inmates in county jails, state prisons and federal penitentiaries are at a higher risk of contracting the virus, advocates say, simply because of the nature of their living conditions. The result of release efforts has been a mixed bag.
Former jailer charged with driving into Kokomo protest
A former correctional officer who drove into a Black Lives Matter protest faces a felony criminal recklessness charge, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Suspect who claims self-defense in judges’ shooting jailed without bond on minor violation
The man accused of shooting two judges during an Indianapolis altercation more than a year ago — and whose attorneys unsuccessfully pressed for the release of surveillance video of the incident they say backs up his self-defense claim — is back behind bars, held without bond after a minor pretrial release violation. The arrest on a warrant appears to conflict with an Indiana Supreme Court order for trial courts to issue arrest warrants only in emergency cases due to concern about the spread of COVID-19 behind bars.