Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
In just his seventh day on the job, new Kosciusko County Community Corrections Director James Henry introduced himself to the County Commissioners Tuesday.
His first day on the job was Oct. 27, coming from the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC). He replaces Barry Andrew, who left as the Community Corrections director earlier this year to become CEO at United Way of Whitley and Kosciusko Counties.
“I was a deputy warden there (at IDOC). I worked at the South Bend Community Re-entry Center in South Bend. I worked that particular facility for a little over 10 years,” Henry said in an interview after the commissioners meeting.
Asked why he wanted to come work for Kosciusko County, he said his last three months as deputy warden he was actually working in Albion at the Chain O’ Lakes Community Re-entry Center.
“I think there is a time in my life I’m just ready for a change, and there’s some things going on in state government that I didn’t necessarily agree with, with our current governor and commissioner, and so I began looking. And I saw this opportunity on their website and decided to apply and see where it went. I felt it was maybe the next logical step in my progression,” Henry said.
In his first week as the Community Corrections director, he said he’s combing through their policies and looking to see what may be outdated.
“By no stretch am I the expert in community corrections. I’m leaning heavily on the staff that are over there. They are the experts in what they do. They were very inviting and very open and welcoming to me. Every department I’ve talked to has been very welcoming in Kosciusko County, so it’s been a great transition from leaving my safe space in the DOC with everything that I know to branching out into something new and a different direction with my career,” Henry said.
He noted there are some things that they are going to change.
“The commissioners don’t know yet, but we’re going to talk about vehicles here real soon. So, that’s one thing we’re looking at. I’m looking at bringing some evidence-based practices into our community corrections. It’s called the Carey Guide and BITS (Brief Intervention Tools), which is something that I was a trainer on in the Department of Correction. It’s all about evidence-based practices, talks about the criminogenic needs,” he said. “The Guide and BITS are basically working through like who you spend time with, finding out what your top criminogenic needs are, problem thinking, critical thinking, problem solving. So it helps open up the doors to maybe more fruitful conversations with individuals we have on home detention.”
Criminogenic needs are factors in a [justice-involved individual's] life that are directly related to recidivism, according to the in.gov website. Research has identified six factors that are directly related to crime: low self-control, anti-social personality, anti-social values, criminal peers, substance abuse and dysfunctional family.
“For them, it’ll be a learning curve. For me, I was a master caseworker for the DOC and I’ve been using those for eight years, so it’s not something new to me, but it’s something new to them and they’re excited to have some different tools in their belt to address some of our critical needs here in the county for guys - or women or juveniles - that have issues,” Henry stated.
His staff in Community Corrections includes four home detention officers, an administrative assistant and one Drug Court caseworker.
While he thinks that’s enough staff, he does think they could be doing more.
“Again, I’m the new person so I don’t know all that they do on a daily basis, I’m learning those things. But I think with the amount of staff we have, we could be doing more to assist the men and women in our care,” he stated.
Henry has a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Bethel University that he earned in 2021.
Henry, who turned 44 on Monday, lives in South Bend with his wife and two children, 10 and 13. His wife works for South Bend Community School Corporation and is a first-year fifth-grade teacher.
“I’m excited to be here and everybody has been very welcoming. It’s been a great, great way to be introduced to the county,” Henry stated.
