A sign is posted outside of Indiana State Prison on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Michigan City, Ind. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
Indiana lawmakers are once again hearing warnings about the state’s prison population.Correctional facilities are nearing capacity as funding for community programs is shrinking.

Margaux Auxier, executive director of legislative services for the Indiana Department of Correction, told a legislative committee prisons have filled quickly after pandemic declines.

“We’re seeing an increase in our population overall,” Auxier pointed out. “To try to mitigate some of these issues, we have implemented a policy to allow more minimum security placements.”

Auxier noted sentencing changes and a return of low-level offenders to state custody are adding pressure. Supporters of the current strategy argued prisons must have resources to safely house violent offenders but others say the state should focus on treatment and prevention.

Prosecutors said the rise in violent crime is also straining resources and making the work more complex.

Chris Daniels, senior traffic safety resource prosecutor for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, explained what they are seeing.

“We’ve seen a pretty dramatic increase in the most violent crimes in our most serious levels in terms of our murders and our Level One and Two felonies,” Daniels outlined. “(Level) Threes, Fours, and Fives stayed about the same, and then we see a decrease in some of our level Sixes and a fairly significant drop in our misdemeanor charges.”

Meanwhile, funding for probation, drug courts and mental health programs has been cut across Indiana. Officials warned the reductions will leave counties with fewer alternatives and push more people back into already crowded prisons.