Gregory A. Miller Attends Probation Incentives & Sanctions Project Workgroup

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - June 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Attorney Gregory A. Miller is dedicated to serving the Fort Wayne community through several projects and workshops, including his current participation in the Probation Incentives workgroup. He is one of the official public defender members, bringing experience and vigor to the project. Attorney Miller is experienced in a variety of practice areas, including criminal defense, traffic law and juvenile delinquency. He has worked with numerous clients, defending individuals who are facing probation violation accusations and potential jail time. His experience has earned him a public defender position for the workgroup, where he will be participating with other individuals to encourage improvements in the current probation incentives and violation sanctions.

The Board of Directors of the Judicial Conference of Indiana is working to improve the schedule of progressive probation incentives, as well as the violation sanctions. They are also required to provide better qualifications for probation officers who administer violation sanctions under the probation violation statute.  The current standards have caused problems and lack of efficiency, prompting the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to provide a grant to fund The Probation Incentives and Sanctions Project. Lawyer Gregory A. Miller will be assisting this process as a public defender representative, working with probation officers, judges, prosecutors and judicial center staff to implement the improvements needed.

The workgroup aims to readjust the poor responses to violations of supervision, which were reported as “slow and ineffective.” Probation officers are calling for more options to hold offenders accountable when they violate their conditions, instead of a simple mandatory court hearing—which often backlogs the system. These improvements could potentially save money and free up jail space, as well as increase the response time and effectiveness. Some suggested options include adding short stays in local jails to increasing probation officers’ enforcement powers, allowing them to hold the violator responsible rather than waiting for a court hearing. Administrative policies would be created to ensure that all violators’ rights remain protected. The improvements that Attorney Gregory A. Miller and his colleagues are working toward could significantly impact public safety through the reduction of re-arrests and withdrawals by individuals who are on felony probation. This would also lead to reductions in prison population, allowing more space for serious criminals to be imprisoned.
Mr. Miller will be using his previous experience with criminal defense and probation violations to present an alternate perspective and provide insight to other necessary improvements. Several key components needed to develop the standards for enforcing probation incentives and sanctions include a schedule of incentives for probation officers so that they can provide timely reward or reinforcement compliance from the probationer. Likewise, they will need a schedule of violation sanctions to act quickly when enforcing appropriate consequences to probationers who violate their conditions. Administrative processes to reduce court and jail time will be needed to cut down costs. Overall, the general concepts will need to include response levels that are determined through an offender’s risk level, continued protection of their due process rights and protocols to govern the potential use of short jail stays. Further training of probation officers will be required to ensure that all the new procedures are handled appropriately and efficiently. If you have questions about the new probation incentives and sanctions project, or if you are facing possible consequences as an offender, contact Attorney Gregory A. Miller today.  Visit http://www.fortwaynecriminaldefenselawfirm.com/ for more information.