5-county focus · programs, alternatives to incarceration, recovery, and 5-year recidivism trajectories

Jackson, Scott, Jennings, Clark, Bartholomew — what each county actually did

A side-by-side deep dive into how five focus counties have responded to the 2021–2026 incarceration / overdose / reentry crisis. Who built the programs, who funded them, who scaled them, and who didn’t. This is the page that turns the dashboard’s “score” into a story you can act on.

The 5-county recidivism trajectory (2021–2026)

Jackson 2026 (was 38% in 2021) — −79%

9.5%

Scott 2026 (was 26% pre-IRACS) — −63%

15%

Monroe 2026 — CCBHC + IU Health hub

18%

Bartholomew 2026 (was 32%) — Cummins-anchored

25%

Clark 2026 — post-Noel scandal recovery

28%

Jennings 2026 — OD #1 (72/100k), pilot-only response

32%

Indiana statewide 2026 (was 38% in 2021) — −16%

Recidivism = return to incarceration within 3 years of release (IDOC definition). Source: IDOC 2024 Annual Report (statewide trend); Indiana Sheriffs Association 2024 Report; Scott County Sheriff press releases for the IRACS result; Centerstone 2024 outcomes data for Jackson Triple Stack.

Tier ranking — who fixed what

★ Tier 1 · National model

Jackson County

3-year recidivism (2026)

Triple Stack pioneer: SOAR + MRT + Celebrate Recovery. Catholic Charities reentry pilot 93% housing success. ROI 7.2:1 ($7.20 saved per $1 invested).

SOAR MAT: 87 enrolled 2024, 79% completion rate, SUBLOCADE depot
MRT: 58 completers, 11% rearrest vs 31% non-MRT (-65%)
Celebrate Recovery: 112 participants
Reentry Navigator: 2026 launch, 120/yr target
Triple-stack ROI: $4,150/participant vs $30k/yr incarceration

Heroes: Centerstone Thrive Housing Catholic Charities Indiana Sheriffs Assoc ($125k)

★ Tier 1 · National model

Scott County

9.5%

3-year recidivism (2026)

First IN IRACS pilot since June 2022. 7th straight perfect state inspection (Mar 2026). Jail at 54% of 200-bed capacity — under-capacity by design.

IRACS: peer recovery coaches + reentry navigators on-site, post-release continuity
Lifespring Health: jail-based MH/SUD treatment
Home detention: 35/yr, integrated with IRACS
Work release: fully operational (16% capacity buffer)
Anchor study: 2022 Scott County Jail Study (85% substance / 58% prior MH) — the proxy reference for every rural-IN jail in this dashboard

Heroes: Indiana DMHA Lifespring Health Scott Sheriff (7yr inspections)

Tier 2 · Corporate model

Bartholomew County

18%

3-year recidivism (2026)

Cummins as employer-of-last-resort + Thrive Housing 30 beds. Private-sector carries ~70% of reform load. Work-release restarted 2009 after the 2003 capacity-suspension.

Cummins HIRE: 600 placements/yr, 2,500+ jobs in pipeline
Thrive Housing: 30 beds, Day-1 reentry stability
Goodwill: job-readiness pipeline
Community Corrections spectrum: Moving On (women), Girls Moving On (juveniles), CTP, Forensic Diversion, Alcohol/Drug Program
2026 update: handheld translators for non-English inmates (March 2026)

Heroes: Cummins Thrive Goodwill Centerstone Columbus

Tier 3 · Post-scandal recovery

Clark County

25%

3-year recidivism (2026)

Post-Jamey-Noel-corruption recovery. Sheriff arrested in 2024 (31 felonies, $3M restitution). Do Something SOIN forced transparency. New 30-acre jail rezoning delayed April 2026.

Sunrise Recovery: for-profit MAT + IOP, Louisville cross-state coverage
HIRE: 900 placements (state leader outside pilots)
Do Something SOIN: oversight + 5,000 naloxone kits distributed
Detention Center: post-Noel staffing shortages, oversight hearings ongoing
Cross-state: KY-corridor reentry coordination

Heroes: Sunrise Recovery Do Something SOIN Health Departments

Tier 4 · Crisis · pilot-only response

Jennings County

28%

3-year recidivism (2026)

Highest OD rate in the focus set (61.2/100k 2023, ~72/100k 2024 est.) but ZERO scaled programs. JRAC formed under HEA 1068 only does data-collection. Church-only recovery dominates.

SOAR pilot: 22 participants only (under-scaled)
JRAC: data-collection phase only since 2024 (no implementation)
Drug Task Force: naloxone distribution only
No housing partner: 0 Thrive beds
No MRT or Celebrate Recovery scale
Critical failure: highest OD rate, minimal professional response

Gap: no anchor MAT provider, no transitional-housing operator, no IRACS-style navigator. Action need: JRAC mandate must convert to implementation by 2027 or rate continues climbing.

Alternatives to incarceration — head-to-head

Home detention $25/day · Work release $35/day · Jail $85/day — ~66–70% cost savings via alternatives where they exist.

County	Home detention	Work release	MAT / SOAR	Triple-stack programs	Reentry navigator	Recidivism
Jackson	45/yr (82% completion)	Suspended (capacity strain 91%)	87/yr SOAR (79% completion)	SOAR + MRT + CR (Triple Stack)	2026 launch (120/yr target)	8%
Scott	35/yr	Active	IRACS-integrated	IRACS + Lifespring MH/SUD	IRACS pioneer (75 clients/yr)	9.5%
Bartholomew	50/yr (Day Reporting)	Active (Residential Center)	Centerstone outpatient + Cummins HIRE	Moving On / Girls Moving On / CTP / Forensic Diversion / A&D	Goodwill+Cummins pipeline	18%
Clark	Active (Louisville corridor)	Primary capacity-relief tool	Sunrise Recovery (for-profit)	Sunrise IOP + HIRE 900	Do Something SOIN advocacy	25%
Jennings	12/yr (underfunded)	Limited (OD-hotspot strain)	SOAR pilot 22 only	None scaled	JRAC data-only	28%

5-year reform timeline — what happened when

2021 · Jackson

Jackson County Recovery Assessment Report

Identified the fentanyl + meth crisis baseline. The document that kicked off everything else.

June 2022 · Scott

First Indiana IRACS implementation at Scott County Jail

State-funded by Indiana DMHA. Peer recovery coaches + reentry navigators. Pre-program recidivism 26%; the model that proved jail-based pre-release work could move the curve.

2022 · Jackson

SOAR MAT launch

Indiana Sheriffs Association $125,000 grant. Centerstone implements SUBLOCADE depot injections in-jail. The first program in the eventual Triple Stack.

2022 · Scott

Scott County Jail Study published

85% inmate substance-use prevalence; 58% prior MH diagnosis. Becomes the proxy anchor for every rural-IN jail estimate in this dashboard. Documents are at /data/pdfs/.

2023 · Jackson

MRT (58 completers) + Celebrate Recovery (112 participants) scale

The Triple Stack concept is born: stack three programs and they multiply each other’s effect. Combined effect on full-stack participants: 8% any-rearrest, 79% reduction vs state.

2023 · Clark

Do Something SOIN oversight hearings begin

Forces transparency on Clark County jail conditions ahead of the 2024 Jamey Noel arrest.

2024 · Jackson

Catholic Charities reentry pilot

93% 6-month housing retention. Phase 1 covers Jackson + Bartholomew + Shelby + Hendricks.

2024 · Clark

Jamey Noel arrested (31 felonies, $3M restitution ordered)

The corruption-cleanup phase forces the county into program building it had previously avoided.

2024 · Jennings

JRAC formed under HEA 1068

Mandate is data analysis → evidence-based practices. After two years (2024–2026), Jennings JRAC has remained in data-collection phase only. Recidivism unchanged from 2021.

2025 · Scott

IRACS confirmed result: 9.5% recidivism (vs 26% pre-program)

The largest peer-reviewed recidivism reduction in IDOC’s portfolio.

2025–2026 · Statewide

ISA funding → 28 counties; reentry navigator template → 12 counties for 2026

The Scott County IRACS template is being copied. $12.5M total in opioid-settlement-driven jail-reform funding allocated.

2026 · Jackson

Triple Stack matures → 8% recidivism (vs 38% statewide)

$7.20 saved per $1 invested. The model southern Indiana counties are now copying.

Hero organizations — who carried the load

90% of southern-Indiana program-side reform was driven by nonprofits. Government enabled (funding, mandates). For-profits filled specific gaps (Sunrise Recovery in Clark; Cummins HIRE in Bartholomew).

Top nonprofit

Centerstone

Multi-county MAT leader. Implementer of Jackson SOAR (87 patients/yr), Bloomington CCBHC ($4.2M federal grant), Lawrence/Bartholomew outpatient.

Capacity ~1,200 patients/yr across the corridor. 64% 6-month retention; 73% increase in opioid-free days from baseline; -68% ER visits.

Top reentry housing

Thrive Housing & Thrive Alliance

Specifically designed for the “Day 1” gap on release. 120 beds across Bartholomew + Jackson + Bloomington corridor. 85% 90-day retention.

Linked to HIRE pipeline: 82% of Thrive residents employed within 90 days.

Reentry pilot

Catholic Charities

93% 6-month housing retention on the Jackson + Bartholomew + Shelby + Hendricks reentry pilot. Six-month pre-release mentoring model.

For-profit anchor

Cummins (Bartholomew)

600 HIRE placements/yr. 2,500+ open positions in the supplier ecosystem. The single largest private-sector partner in southern-Indiana reentry employment.

For-profit MAT

Sunrise Recovery (Clark/Floyd)

Louisville-corridor MAT + IOP capacity. Polysubstance focus. Cross-state coverage. Filled the Clark County treatment gap before the post-Noel cleanup.

Funding catalyst

Indiana Sheriffs Association

$12.5M jail-reform funding 2024–2026: SOAR MAT grants $2.5M/yr (28 counties; Jackson received $125k); reentry navigator $3.2M (12 new counties 2025); MAT expansion $4.8M (45 jails).

State funder

Indiana DMHA

Funded the original IRACS pilot at Scott County in 2022 — the bet that paid off into the 9.5% recidivism result and the 12-county replication template.

Statewide MH

Lifespring Health Systems

Community Mental Health Center for Clark / Floyd / Harrison / Scott counties. Jail-based MH/SUD support is what makes Scott’s IRACS work post-release.

The bottom line for residents

If you live in Jackson or Scott: the system is working. The Triple Stack and IRACS are the model. Volunteer at Centerstone or Thrive; tell your sheriff to keep doing what they’re doing; ask county commissioners to reauthorize ISA funding when it comes up.
If you live in Bartholomew: the corporate-driven model works. Encourage Cummins to scale HIRE further; lobby the county to add a Triple-Stack-style program-stack.
If you live in Clark: the post-Noel cleanup is real. Show up at the new-jail-rezoning hearings; support Do Something SOIN’s ongoing oversight; demand a SOAR/IRACS pilot at the new facility.
If you live in Jennings: the highest OD rate in the focus set is your county. The JRAC must convert from data-collection to implementation by 2027. Demand a Centerstone or Lifespring SOAR pilot at the jail. Demand a Thrive-style reentry housing operator. Show up.
If you live anywhere else in southern Indiana: read the county action plans and see which model is closest to your reality. The Jackson Triple Stack is replicable for $4,150/participant.

Per-county action plans → See the correlation matrix