Aprili was a star student in 2006 when she graduated from North Central High School, receiving thousands of dollars in scholarships.
But despite that success, she’s struggled with her mental health for about 14 years.
Things came to a head when she experienced a manic episode in public in December that sent her to jail for about two and a half months. In May, her case was assigned to Marion County’s psychiatric assertive identification and referral program. It’s one of the county’s problem-solving courts, which provide mental health and legal wraparound services to keep people from going further into the criminal justice system.
Aprili, who goes by one name as an artist, has been improving over the past few months, even showcasing her writing in a local exhibition. She doesn’t think she would have as much success managing her health and medication without the problem-solving court — but that specialized help is becoming harder to find.
At least 60 of Indiana’s 92 counties have one or more problem-solving courts. Programs like the one that’s helping Aprili get her life back on track, though, are in jeopardy in the wake of state funding cuts.
Marion County’s reentry and drug court stopped accepting applicants as officials work toward winding down the program. Veterans court and mental health court haven’t cut services yet, but could cease operations by the end of 2027.
Having a criminal record can prevent people from getting apartments and jobs. But, Aprili’s case can be dismissed once she graduates the program. Then the case is automatically expunged from her court record after 60 days, so it won’t show up on a background check.
By participating in the program, Aprili won’t have a criminal conviction.
“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.
Aprili also sees another benefit. As a Black woman, she doesn’t think she would have a fair or just hearing if her case went to trial.
“I would basically be up against a justice system that I don’t think is even fair or capable of analyzing the situation with insight into all of the parts that led to the situation unfolding as it did,” Aprili said.
What are problem-solving courts?
Until recently, Marion County had multiple problem-solving courts, including reentry, drug treatment, veterans and behavioral health. Those programs, which can run one to three years, help people find employment, housing, apply for disability payments and maintain their mental health.
Participants with qualifying cases are screened before they’re considered for the program. Once the program begins, they are drug and alcohol tested twice a week, follow treatment plans from their medical provider, and attend regular check-ins and court appearances. Participants in all alternative courts work with a case manager, public defender and mental health or substance use providers. Some programs also have peer support specialists, recovery coaches and community mentors specifically for veterans.
The programs also provide financial support for things like transportation, drug testing, sober living rehabilitation and work uniforms.
Superior Court Judge Amy Jones, who was first elected in 2012 and oversees the county’s mental health courts, said the program is different from a traditional courtroom. Jones can get to know participants’ family members and have a better understanding of the support they need. And sometimes positive feedback goes a long way.
“It’s amazing what an attaboy does for a lot of people that come in. They’ve never heard anyone tell them, ‘you know what, great improvement this week. Very proud of you,’” Jones said. “I have a lot of incentives and things as well that I can use for people that are doing well, but there’s nothing that gives more back than just the power of praise from somebody in this kind of a position.”
State funding cuts
Marion County’s problem-solving courts are mostly funded through the state’s Community Corrections and Justice Reinvestment Grants.
Some of the programs have been paused in response to the Indiana Department of Correction cutting a roughly $600,000 grant that supported drug, reentry and veterans court, impacting problem-solving courts across the state.
The state’s office of court services will fund veterans court through 2027.
Ray Casanova, Marion County’s chief public defender, has worked with the program for over 30 years. He said similar services can be provided while people are still incarcerated, but they will be less supportive. And additional people can lead to overcrowding in jails and prisons, which can be pricey.
“In the long run, it’s just more cost-effective to deal with these issues through treatment courts rather than through treatment in an incarceration setting,” Casanova said.
Casanova said clients currently in drug treatment court can either complete the program or receive other services, such as the county’s Quality of Life Unit, which provides treatment as an alternative to incarceration. He said some judges are optimistic funding will return for reentry and drug court in 2028.
Becoming a part of the solution
Daniel Higgs has seen the criminal justice system from both sides. Without the problem-solving court, Higgs said he’d be in prison right now — and not learning anything that could get him back on his feet.
“A lot of times the community just sees this problem and they think that locking it away is the answer,” Higgs said. “People who commit crimes, in most circumstances, they’re going to get out one day and if they have not obtained the resources, the skills, the tools that they need, then they’re more likely going to become incarcerated again.”
That could have been him. Higgs committed four robberies in 2016 with a plastic gun — not for the money but because he was struggling with life so much he was hoping a bystander would kill him. That, combined with a 15-year meth addiction, landed him in prison for four years.
Since his release in 2020, the Garfield Park resident worked to turn his life around, spending several years supporting people who have been involved with both sides of the criminal justice system.
But Higgs relapsed after eight years and tested positive for drugs, which landed him back in jail in October 2025. Higgs joined the county’s problem-solving court and was released less than two months later and he feels like it saved his life and others.
“These programs are not only helping someone like me eliminate that possibility of going back to jail or prison ever again, but they’re empowering people like me to become a part of the solution,” Higgs said. “So I find myself in situations where it’s not just about me turning my life around, how can I help pay that forward.”
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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