Community Corrections to cut seven workers

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Tippecanoe County Community Corrections will reduce its staff after a decrease in funding.

In all, seven people out of a staff of nearly 55 have been laid off. Six people from work release and one juvenile staffer won't be returning to work. A decrease in the number of people on home detention and work release has resulted in less revenue.

It's simple economics, according to Tippecanoe County Community Corrections Executive Director Dave Heath. Staff must be reduced after a loss of revenue because there is not enough money to cover expenses.

"Since 2007, the number of participants in all the programs - work release, home detention - all of them has dropped about 280 participants," said Heath.

That drop is what led to a reduction in funding. In fact, 72 percent of Community Correction's income is from fees collected from those programs. The remaining 28 percent of the budget is grant funded.

"Community Corrections doesn't get any general fund money," said Heath.

NewsChannel 18 discovered nearly $2.8 million in fees over the past 10 to 12 years have gone unpaid by people in the department's programs. Heath said $1.8 million has been turned over to collections and another $1 million is waiting to be turned over.

"Not all of that is collectible. Had we, over the past, collected a portion of that we'd probably be in a little better shape than what we are right now," said Heath.

Work release fees were recently raised, but it's not enough. Since 80 percent of Community Corrections expenses are personnel related, a reduction in staff was the only option left.

"The cost of benefits have gone up. There hasn't been any increase in personnel in the past few years, but those fixed costs are still there and the only way to reduce those costs is reduce personnel," said Heath.

Right now it's unclear whether or not the affected employees will be able to return to work in the near future, if at all.

"That's a hard question to answer. I think if some of the prison reforms and sentencing reforms that the state is trying to do come into play next year, it could increase the programs," said Heath.

Heath said such reform could result in more people diverted to community corrections programs. He said the staff has been understanding through the lay-off process.