The programs are among Indiana’s problem-solving courts, which pair court supervision with services such as mental health or substance-use treatment, housing and employment support. At least 60 of the state’s 92 counties have one or more such courts.

For Aprili, a North Central High School graduate who uses one name as an artist, Marion County’s psychiatric assertive identification and referral program has provided a path to treatment after a manic episode led to her arrest and about two and a half months in jail. Her case entered the program in May. She said the court has helped her manage her mental health and medication, and she recently showed her writing in a local exhibition.

If she completes the program, her case can be dismissed and automatically expunged from her court record after 60 days, keeping it from appearing on a background check. Aprili said the program helped her avoid a cycle of incarceration, unstable housing and untreated illness.

“I could have fallen through the cracks and I could have spiraled through incarceration, lack of mental health management, lack of housing, lack of income, lack of community,” she said.

Marion County’s programs can last from one to three years. Participants are screened for eligibility, then follow treatment plans, attend regular court check-ins and work with case managers, public defenders and health or substance-use providers. They may also receive help with costs such as transportation, drug testing, sober living arrangements and work uniforms.

Superior Court Judge Amy Jones, who oversees the county’s mental health courts, said regular contact allows her to understand participants’ circumstances and recognize their progress. Encouragement from the bench can matter, she said.

The courts rely largely on state Community Corrections and Justice Reinvestment Grants. While the state’s Office of Court Services is expected to fund veterans court through 2027, other programs have been affected by the grant reduction. Marion County Chief Public Defender Ray Casanova said people currently in drug court can finish the program or be referred to other services, including the county’s Quality of Life Unit, which offers treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Some judges hope state funding for reentry and drug courts could return in 2028.

Casanova, who has worked with the program for more than 30 years, said treatment in the community can cost less than providing services in jail or prison. Without alternatives, he warned, more people could enter already crowded correctional facilities.

Daniel Higgs, a Garfield Park resident and current participant, said the court helped him return to the community after a relapse led to his arrest in October 2025. He had previously served four years in prison after committing four robberies in 2016 while struggling with a 15-year meth addiction. He said the court released him in less than two months and is helping him build a more stable life.

Higgs said people leaving prison need practical support if they are to avoid returning. The program, he said, has also given him a way to help others facing similar challenges.