City Of Warsaw Gives $10K To JCAP
March 3, 2020 at 4:05 a.m.
City Of Warsaw Gives $10K To JCAP
By David [email protected]
Monday night, the Warsaw Common Council approved a resolution for the transfer of $10,000 from health insurance to professional services to provide funds to the Kosciusko County JCAP exclusively for mental health treatment services, as requested by Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker.
Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “This is something we’ve looked at, something that we feel is extremely important with resources that are being drained from our police department, from all law enforcement, from social services as this addiction cycle continues to drain on resources.”
He said his feeling about JCAP, in talking with Whitaker and Sheriff Kyle Dukes, is that JCAP is a “model program in the state of Indiana” that gives those incarcerated in the county jail an opportunity for recovery.
“I feel very strongly that I think this money is going to come back. We’ll get a return on this investment,” Thallemer said. “... I think the biggest thing about this program is the involvement of our entire community. There’s a pretty significant number of local businesses and individuals that come in and work with these JCAP classes, and the fact that the community is stepping in to really try to help these folks recover is noticed by those individuals. They feel overwhelmed that this community cares about them that much to put a program on like that and try to get them out to where there’s opportunity away from their addiction.”
Dukes said going back to Jan. 1, 2018, his first day in elected office, he knew there had to be some changes to JCAP. Those included an application process for the inmates and a committee to review each case. The prosecutor’s office, community corrections and probation department, along with JCAP Coordinator Courtney Jenkins, Jail Commander 1st Sgt. Shane Coney and Dukes are on the committee.
“JCAP is designed for somebody who is getting out of our county jail and going back into society. It’s not designed for a person going to prison. So it’s crucial to have the right group,” Dukes said.
He said there are 10 to 14 inmates in a group, and they are separated from the general population in their own block. It’s a four-month process, with seven to nine hours a day of classes. Half of the time is spent teaching life skills, while the other half is focused on mental health, like balancing a checkbook, parenting classes and even a fitness class. New this time is art therapy, which a group of women will get to experience beginning today. They can get certifications and their GED in the program, too.
“Something that we realized in the first couple of graduation classes is, we need more one-on-one time with the mental health counselors, and we have that now. And with the city of Warsaw’s help, we’ll have more,” Dukes said.
He said the success rate of people staying clean once they get out of jail is 68%. Over 25 local businesses participate in JCAP.
“The reality of JCAP is, there’s a cost. It’s expensive. The mental health services are so important, but there’s a cost to that. But I firmly believe we have to keep doing this, and the numbers back it up,” Dukes said.
Kosciusko County’s program is one of three JCAPs in Indiana, but three other counties are considering it.
“We are leading the way,” Dukes said, noting the attorney general’s office previously noted it hasn’t seen as much community involvement as Kosciusko’s program has. He said he has “big plans” for JCAP.
Whitaker said he and Thallemer had the privilege to go into the block where JCAP is housed and heard many stories from the individuals in it, and both were impacted. He said the $10,000 donation from the city of Warsaw was a start to help assisting with JCAP.
Whitaker also praised Jenkins for her hard work in JCAP. She started as a volunteer but is now the full-time paid JCAP coordinator. He said he “greatly appreciated” Jenkins’ services and what Dukes has done.
Thallemer encouraged the councilmen to spend 10 to 15 minutes with the JCAP participants. The jail is now running two programs at a time, with the women’s in its second week and the men’s about to begin.
Several of the councilmen expressed their appreciation for the program, and the transfer was unanimously approved.
In other business, the council:
• Approved on second reading a resolution approving an additional appropriation of $300,000 from the redevelopment general fund for land purchase for the 72-unit senior housing on East Market Street. The resolution was approved on first reading at the council’s Feb. 18 meeting.
Also approved on second readings were ordinances re-establishing the cumulative capital development rate at 5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation and the fire equipment fund rate at 3.33 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The ordinances also were approved on first reading at the Feb. 18 meeting.
• Approved an ordinance amending the city’s 2020 fire department salary ordinance to allow Joe Fretz, who is assigned a K-9 unit, an additional half hour per day to care for the dog. The dog was a donation to the city, will only be used in the county and is valued at $11,000.
• Approved the continuation of the tax abatement for Freedom Oil at 409 Argonne Road. The abatement is in its third year, and Freedom Oil spent about $1.8 million in real property improvements.
• Approved a resolution to exchange a 2005 Ford E350 box van with an IBAK Camera system, two camera tractors and a push camera that is no longer needed by the city of Warsaw with the city of Rochester for $75,000, as requested by Utility Superintendent Brian Davison. He said the city is buying a new system and trading the equipment in would only bring in about half of what Rochester is going to pay. Rochester’s city council needs to approve a similar resolution at its March 12 meeting, but city attorney Scott Reust said Rochester was going forward with the exchange.
• Reviewed the 2019 encumbered purchase orders report. No action was needed or taken on the report.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen explained, “This is the monies from 2019 that was encumbered over to 2020 because of contracts or various reasons. In June or July, I’ll come back with a reduction of this report for the budget session for 2021. We do this every year.”
• Heard from Thallemer that the State of the City address is March 12 at Center Lake Pavilion. The address starts at 12:30, but the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and Warsaw Community Development Corp. luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. if you purchase a ticket through them. The State of the City address is free and open to the public.
Monday night, the Warsaw Common Council approved a resolution for the transfer of $10,000 from health insurance to professional services to provide funds to the Kosciusko County JCAP exclusively for mental health treatment services, as requested by Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker.
Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “This is something we’ve looked at, something that we feel is extremely important with resources that are being drained from our police department, from all law enforcement, from social services as this addiction cycle continues to drain on resources.”
He said his feeling about JCAP, in talking with Whitaker and Sheriff Kyle Dukes, is that JCAP is a “model program in the state of Indiana” that gives those incarcerated in the county jail an opportunity for recovery.
“I feel very strongly that I think this money is going to come back. We’ll get a return on this investment,” Thallemer said. “... I think the biggest thing about this program is the involvement of our entire community. There’s a pretty significant number of local businesses and individuals that come in and work with these JCAP classes, and the fact that the community is stepping in to really try to help these folks recover is noticed by those individuals. They feel overwhelmed that this community cares about them that much to put a program on like that and try to get them out to where there’s opportunity away from their addiction.”
Dukes said going back to Jan. 1, 2018, his first day in elected office, he knew there had to be some changes to JCAP. Those included an application process for the inmates and a committee to review each case. The prosecutor’s office, community corrections and probation department, along with JCAP Coordinator Courtney Jenkins, Jail Commander 1st Sgt. Shane Coney and Dukes are on the committee.
“JCAP is designed for somebody who is getting out of our county jail and going back into society. It’s not designed for a person going to prison. So it’s crucial to have the right group,” Dukes said.
He said there are 10 to 14 inmates in a group, and they are separated from the general population in their own block. It’s a four-month process, with seven to nine hours a day of classes. Half of the time is spent teaching life skills, while the other half is focused on mental health, like balancing a checkbook, parenting classes and even a fitness class. New this time is art therapy, which a group of women will get to experience beginning today. They can get certifications and their GED in the program, too.
“Something that we realized in the first couple of graduation classes is, we need more one-on-one time with the mental health counselors, and we have that now. And with the city of Warsaw’s help, we’ll have more,” Dukes said.
He said the success rate of people staying clean once they get out of jail is 68%. Over 25 local businesses participate in JCAP.
“The reality of JCAP is, there’s a cost. It’s expensive. The mental health services are so important, but there’s a cost to that. But I firmly believe we have to keep doing this, and the numbers back it up,” Dukes said.
Kosciusko County’s program is one of three JCAPs in Indiana, but three other counties are considering it.
“We are leading the way,” Dukes said, noting the attorney general’s office previously noted it hasn’t seen as much community involvement as Kosciusko’s program has. He said he has “big plans” for JCAP.
Whitaker said he and Thallemer had the privilege to go into the block where JCAP is housed and heard many stories from the individuals in it, and both were impacted. He said the $10,000 donation from the city of Warsaw was a start to help assisting with JCAP.
Whitaker also praised Jenkins for her hard work in JCAP. She started as a volunteer but is now the full-time paid JCAP coordinator. He said he “greatly appreciated” Jenkins’ services and what Dukes has done.
Thallemer encouraged the councilmen to spend 10 to 15 minutes with the JCAP participants. The jail is now running two programs at a time, with the women’s in its second week and the men’s about to begin.
Several of the councilmen expressed their appreciation for the program, and the transfer was unanimously approved.
In other business, the council:
• Approved on second reading a resolution approving an additional appropriation of $300,000 from the redevelopment general fund for land purchase for the 72-unit senior housing on East Market Street. The resolution was approved on first reading at the council’s Feb. 18 meeting.
Also approved on second readings were ordinances re-establishing the cumulative capital development rate at 5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation and the fire equipment fund rate at 3.33 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The ordinances also were approved on first reading at the Feb. 18 meeting.
• Approved an ordinance amending the city’s 2020 fire department salary ordinance to allow Joe Fretz, who is assigned a K-9 unit, an additional half hour per day to care for the dog. The dog was a donation to the city, will only be used in the county and is valued at $11,000.
• Approved the continuation of the tax abatement for Freedom Oil at 409 Argonne Road. The abatement is in its third year, and Freedom Oil spent about $1.8 million in real property improvements.
• Approved a resolution to exchange a 2005 Ford E350 box van with an IBAK Camera system, two camera tractors and a push camera that is no longer needed by the city of Warsaw with the city of Rochester for $75,000, as requested by Utility Superintendent Brian Davison. He said the city is buying a new system and trading the equipment in would only bring in about half of what Rochester is going to pay. Rochester’s city council needs to approve a similar resolution at its March 12 meeting, but city attorney Scott Reust said Rochester was going forward with the exchange.
• Reviewed the 2019 encumbered purchase orders report. No action was needed or taken on the report.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen explained, “This is the monies from 2019 that was encumbered over to 2020 because of contracts or various reasons. In June or July, I’ll come back with a reduction of this report for the budget session for 2021. We do this every year.”
• Heard from Thallemer that the State of the City address is March 12 at Center Lake Pavilion. The address starts at 12:30, but the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and Warsaw Community Development Corp. luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. if you purchase a ticket through them. The State of the City address is free and open to the public.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092