Pence task force to combat drug abuse ‘scourge’

Gov. Mike Pence launched on Tuesday a new task force charged with spearheading a "fresh approach" to combating drug abuse in the state amid a sharp rise in heroin deaths and the recent HIV outbreak in rural Scott County.

Pence called drug abuse and addiction a “scourge” on Hoosier communities and families in announcing his initiative at Eskenazi Health.

Deaths linked to heroin abuse in the state have soared. In 2013, the state saw 152 deaths linked to heroin, up from three deaths in 2003, according to figures provided by the Indiana State Department of Health.

More Indiana counties also are seeking approval to run needle-exchange programs to prevent the transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases by intravenous drug use through a law Pence signed in May. So far, three counties with high hepatitis C or HIV rates now have needle-exchange programs in place. The Scott County outbreak last winter prompted the change.

And just last month, Pence authorized the hiring of 113 additional caseworkers for the Indiana Department of Child Services. DCS is experiencing an increase in child abuse and neglect cases that its agency director said are “to a large degree fueled by drugs.”

“While multiple entities around the state are doing their part to combat substance abuse, I believe we do have to identify gaps that can hinder us from preventing drug abuse, treating drug abuse and effectively enforcing our laws,” Pence said.

Treatment, prevention to be focus

The 21-member task force will make recommendations on improving resources. Lawmakers could consider some of those suggestions during next year’s Indiana General Assembly session. Membership on the task force includes Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Jerome Adams, Indiana Department of Child Services Director Mary Beth Bonaventura, law enforcement officials, health officials and state lawmakers.

Law enforcement plays a critical role, Pence said, but the state also must recognize the need to "address the root causes of addiction and focus on treatment."

The new state budget provides $30 million in grants to help fund mental health and addiction services run by local community corrections, probation and diversion programs. One charge of the task force is to identify best practices for treatment and prevention to fund with those grant dollars.

The funding follows the General Assembly’s approval of a series of criminal justice reforms in recent years. The changes will lead to lower-level offenders being retained in local jails and corrections programs.

Pence said he didn't want to prejudge recommendations that may come out of the task force when asked about the potential cost of instituting those proposals. The task force will examine where the state might repurpose its existing resources or where additional resources may be needed if gaps in services are identified, he said.

Marion County Sheriff John Layton, who serves on the task force, said he has a good feeling the initiative will make headway.

“I think the governor is serious about it — as we all are,” Layton said.

Has the state provided enough funding to combat the drug problem to date? Probably not, he said, but he said it’s an expensive issue to tackle.

“I don’t know if there is enough money to completely clean it up. But at this point, I think we’re going to start seeing more money flow into this problem,” Layton said.

How to reduce drug abuse?

While the task force has yet to make any recommendations, Pence stressed a need for increased communication among law enforcement, lawmakers and health-care providers in addressing substance abuse.

Speaking shortly after his announcement at a forum on criminal justice reform sponsored by the conservative Charles Koch Institute, Pence touted his administration’s “very aggressive” stance on enforcing drug laws, but said such measures must be balanced with efforts to treat substance abuse early.

“The group that we formed has really been designed to ask all the fundamental questions,” Pence told a crowd of attorneys, academics, judges, community leaders and other public safety and criminal justice experts gathered in Downtown Indianapolis. “How can we be more effective in reducing drug abuse in the state of Indiana?”

Pence also spoke at the forum about the importance of reducing recidivism rates -- a problem prevalent among drug users who wind up behind bars.

Once someone commits and serves time for a drug-related crime, they’re highly likely to return to prison. According to a national survey performed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly 77 percent of drug offenders are rearrested.

Much of the conversation at the forum spun around inmates in Indiana’s jail and prison systems who have committed drug-related crimes or suffer from substance abuse, and how to most effectively rehabilitate them and other nonviolent offenders.

Deborah Daniels, a former U.S. attorney who now is the managing partner at the Indianapolis firm Krieg DeVault, advocated for efforts that focus on treatment, rather than simply incarceration for low-level offenders. She called the funding for mental health and addiction services included in the new state budget a “huge advance.”

“Incarceration alone is not solving the problem,” said Daniels, who is also the sister of former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. “If these issues are not addressed, you will not be able to reduce recidivism.”

Should penalties be tougher?

Yet, a key voice in the debate over criminal justice reform indicated recently he wants the state to stiffen penalties for drug offenders.

A few years ago, state legislators amended the law to allow for lighter sentences for those involved with illicit substances. But legal officials can hold the prospect of stiffer penalties over offenders’ heads to persuade them to seek treatment, David Powell, the executive director of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, told a legislative study committee in August.

One lawmaker serving on the task force said he plans to file legislation in 2016 to strengthen penalties against drug dealers.

"We will be increasing the penalties on the big users, the big dealers," state Sen. Jim Merritt, an Indianapolis Republican, said.

The task force will conduct three meetings across the state as it crafts its recommendations. Meetings will be held Sept. 16 in Indianapolis, Oct. 15 in Evansville and Nov. 19 in South Bend. The times and locations have not yet been announced.

Costs to operate the task force, which include per diem, travel and administrative supplies, will come from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, according to the governor’s office.

Star reporters Shari Rudavsky and Marisa Kwiatkowski contributed to this article. 

Call Star reporter Chelsea Schneider at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @indystarchelsea.