The Monroe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the countys 2026 Department of Corrections Community Corrections grant, covering community corrections program operations and two problem‑solving courts.

Becca Scribe, community corrections executive director and deputy chief probation officer, told commissioners the partnership with the Department of Correction has continued for decades: "This partnership has been going on, like I said, for 43 years where the Department of Correction provides funding for us to support alternatives to incarceration." She said the grant supports home detention, electronic monitoring, a day reporting program, drug testing and two of the countys problem‑solving courts: drug court and mental health court.

Scribe said the DOC informed local programs it will not fund pretrial programs statewide in 2026. "This did come as a surprise. Monroe County was not the only one affected by this," she said, adding that the Indiana Supreme Court provided a one‑time supplement that guarantees pretrial services through 2026. "For 2026, we're solid, but stay tuned."

Commissioners recorded the grant amounts in the meeting record: community corrections program $1,049,167; drug court $137,209; mental health court $42,958. Following the presentation and a call for public comment (none), the board voted 3‑0 to approve the grant agreement.

Why it matters: The grant funds core alternatives-to-incarceration services used by courts to manage defendants outside jail. The DOCs withdrawal of routine pretrial funding statewide shifts budget and sustainability questions onto local governments and courts for 2027 and beyond.

What's next: Scribe said program staff will work to identify sustainable sources for pretrial programming beyond the one‑time Supreme Court supplement for 2026. The board also asked staff to monitor the DOC and state budget developments and report back if additional local action is needed.