Mental Health America of Indiana Vice President of Forensic Services Jayme Whitaker, who helped create the state’s Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support Program, speaks on it at a special community meeting on Wednesday, June 21, at Palette restaurant in Warsaw.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Jayme Whitaker says an important component of the state’s Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support Program is learning an inmate’s “story.”

“Because a charge will never tell you someone’s story,” he said. “So getting past the charges and getting to say, ‘Hey man, tell me your story,’ because I will tell you right now … the more you know about someone’s story, the more you can help.”

Whitaker, the vice president of forensic services for Mental Health America of Indiana, who helped create IRACS at the Howard County Jail, spoke on the program at a special meeting on Wednesday night, June 21, at Palette restaurant in Warsaw.

Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith and other leaders coordinated the event to garner community support ahead of IRACS possibly coming to Kosciusko County.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office received permission from county leaders back in March to apply for a $500,000 grant to start the program. The state will announce Monday, June 26, whether Kosciusko County will receive the grant and be one of 10 counties in the next round of the program, either being able to start in August or January.

IRACS relies on peer coaches formerly incarcerated themselves to meet one on one and in groups with inmates to help them address their issues and prepare for entering society, including finding housing and jobs and securing insurance.

It won’t replace the Kosciusko County Jail Chemical Addiction Program, but instead work with it at times. IRACS differs from JCAP in that all inmates at the Kosciusko County Jail are allowed to participate if they wish.

Whitaker explained inmates will receive help based on where they fit within a timeline of entering and leaving jail or moving onto prison. He said IRACS has the following priorities: early intake support; integrated pretrial and community collaboration; ongoing one-on-one and group support in jail, comprehensive jail-based treatment support, reentry, recovery and crisis planning; transitional peer support; and ongoing peer support.

He provided stats on the five counties in which the program has been piloted: Delaware, Scott, Daviess, Blackford and Dearborn. Ninety-two percent of inmates in those counties have opted to participate after IRACS had existed for six months, he said.

Whitaker said between 61% and 86% of inmates in the program have been able to successfully reenter society 30 days out from leaving jail. That compares to a national rate of 29%.

He added IRACS not only helps people going through the program, but the peer coaches themselves as helping others will assist those “people stay out” of trouble.

Leaders involved in the IRACS process in Kosciusko County so far also shared after Whitaker’s talk, including Smith.

He said he recently encountered two inmates at the KCJ who were expressed concerns to him about soon leaving the jail for normal life.

“They were freaking out,” said Smith, mentioning he realized then “IRACS, it has to happen.”

He noted the program helps with issues the inmates told him then that “I burned all my bridges, I don’t have anywhere to go work. I have nowhere to lay my head down.”

“It’s just much needed,” said Smith of IRACS in the county. “I do think we’ve done the same thing for the last 50 years (in criminal justice). It’s time to do something different.”

Leaders involved with an effort to bring IRACS to the county are shown standing at the meeting from left: Prosecutor Brad Voelz, Jail Chemical Addiction Program Coordinator Casey Trombley, Assistant Jail Commander Chad Marsh, Jail Commander Kevin Gelbaugh, Living in Transition Effectively Executive Director Tammy Cotton, Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris McKeand, Sheriff Jim Smith, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan Hampton and Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education Coordinator Heidi Blake.