Indiana Department of Correction

Train. Prepare. Achieve as a team. 🤝

The IDOC Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) includes specially selected and trained personnel skilled in entry tactics, precision weapons, hostage rescue, high-security transportation, and other specialized areas.

Photos below are from a recent exercise in which the team continued to expand its knowledge of mission readiness as a part of its continued commitment to public safety.

2025 brought another year of progress, prosperity, and productivity for the Indiana Department of Correction.

From major projects, including the continued construction of the new state-of-the-art Westville Correctional Facility, to new technology for our officers and more graduates from our successful programs, the IDOC continues to promote public safety by providing effective opportunities for successful reentry.

Want to know what the IDOC was up to in 2025? Take a look at our annual report here:

2025 IDOC Annual Report 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW Strengthen • Inspire • Reform INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION Table of Contents 03 04 06 10 12 14 16 20 22 24 26 28 Welcome Message Ab

Once a month, young people gather at Elkhart’s Tolson Center for a haircut. The haircuts are free, and the barbers are residents of the Indiana Department of Correction’s South Bend Community Reentry Center.

See story link in comments.

Leaders at the IDOC are committed to constantly learning and growing, and that's why these individuals completed the Executive Leadership Program!

It's a four-day training program held at the Correctional Training Institute that provides foundational knowledge of capital projects, facility management, organizational classification, Community Advisory Boards, and legislative affairs. Participants are able to take part in small group discussions and engage with IDOC’s executive leadership team to learn from their experience. Participants will continue to develop their professional careers through a year of mentorship with previous graduates of IDOC’s Executive Leadership Program.

Congratulations to Nicholas Sprague, Ty Robbins, Michael Gilbert, Dustin Wrightsman, Sonya Phipps, Kristal Shriner, Madison Kelly, Carolyn Hulett, Bobby Yarborough, Christopher Meredith, Chris Tanis, William Phipps, Travis Goffinet, Colin Wonder, and John Tomaw!👩‍🎓👨‍🎓🎉

🇺🇸 The Indiana Department of Correction honored the lives lost in the line of duty at a Fallen Staff Ceremony yesterday at the Correctional Training Institute in New Castle.

The ceremony, led by Deputy Commissioner Christine Blessinger, included the Posting of Colors by the Honor Guard, a prayer, remarks from Commissioner Lloyd Arnold, a moment of silence and a memorial tribute by Chief of Staff James Basinger, followed by the Retiring of Colors.

As the name of each fallen staff member was read, a memorial bell was rung and a rose was placed in their honor.

The names of the staff members remembered include:
Michael R. Keel (2023) - Indiana State Prison
Eugene L. Lasco (2021) - Indiana State Prison
Timothy A. Betts (2012) - Wabash Valley Corr. Facility
Robert J. Statzer (2008) - Pendleton Correctional Facility
Jerome Brewer (2007) - Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility
Virgil A. Reel (2001) - Putnamville Correctional Facility
Phillip K. Curry (1994) - Indiana State Prison
William W. Wilson (1987) - Westville Correctional Facility
Vanessa Cook (1980) - Gary Parole
Harold E. Rice (1976) - Indiana State Prison
John H. Grimm (1921) - Indiana Reformatory – Jeffersonville
Charles V. Orem (1919) - Indiana Reformatory – Jeffersonville
David M. Lovette (1918) - Indiana Boys School
Paul Stokeberry (1918) - Indiana Boys School
Ora D. Ambrose (1913) - Indiana Boys School
William H. Spears (1913) - Indiana Boys School
Hiram B. McWilliams (1911) - Indiana Reformatory – Jeffersonville
George A. Chamberlain (1874) - Indiana State Prison – Jeffersonville

Through these efforts, IDOC aims to remember and recognize those who have bravely served the department.

A behind-the-scenes look at the progress happening at the new Westville State Prison: The Southern Indiana Regional SITCON team recently visited the site to learn more about the transition process, ongoing construction efforts, and the planning taking place across multiple areas of the agency.

The new state-of-the-art facility is designed to support modern correctional practices and long-term operational needs.

IDOC broke ground in 2023 on the $1.2B new facility, which will replace the current Westville Correctional Facility in La Porte County.

Westville Correctional Facility, originally a state-run mental hospital, has operated as a correctional facility since 1979, and its infrastructure can no longer support
our growing population.

The new facility is scheduled to open in 2027.

🎥 Watch the Work: You can view a time lapse of the construction from the groundbreaking in 2023 to today on our YouTube channel, . 👀

ViaPath Service Update: ViaPath is currently working to resolve issues affecting AutoPay notifications and some payment functions within the iPhone mobile app. Android devices are operating normally at this time. Additional updates will be shared as they become available.

Helping prepare for success: The Indiana Department of Correction hosted its 2026 Re-Entry Conference on April 27th and 28th! The event is focused on helping incarcerated individuals successfully transition back into their communities following release. Topics covered during the training included legal documentation, technology updates, case management, Education in Corrections, and the value of emotional intelligence in leadership.

“Most of our facilities’ population return to their communities upon release,” said IDOC’s Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Programs Christine Blessinger, head of the department’s Re-Entry Division. “Their successful reintegration is the biggest factor in whether they’ll stay out of prison. That’s what we want for them,” Blessinger continued, “and what makes this training so important.”

📝 You can read more on this annual event here: https://events.in.gov/event/training-event-dedicated-to-easing-parolees-re-entry

📷 You can view more photos from the Re-Entry Conference here: 196392262@N05/albums/72177720333371823/" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/196392262@N05/albums/72177720333371823/

Congratulations to IDOC Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility ’s newest Youth Development Specialists! Your work in supervising youth, supporting positive behavior, and helping maintain a secure, structured environment is truly appreciated!

From corn hole competitions to staff lunches — The Indiana Department Correction is wrapping up National Correctional Officers and Employees Week! This week, our facilities and offices celebrated the men and women who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Please join us in saying THANK YOU to each individual who serves the IDOC with purpose and dedication.🙌