05/20/2026
Happy middle of the week to you all. If you watched the short videos of our series The Difference Between a Sheriff’s Office and Police Department, you got to see a couple episodes that pertained to the jail. What is not mentioned in either video are the programs for the inmates. We could simply not offer anything to those that are incarcerated, but that doesn’t do anybody any good. If we can help make a positive change in one person’s life, we can hopefully never see them walk through the intake sliders again.
We have several programs in our facility with the newest being the Tippecanoe County Adult Reentry Reimagined Services (TCARRS) program. There is so much to this program, but I want to highlight a few things about the program. Our partnership with Paul’s Plan Ministries, TCARRS, and our community partners is so important to not only this facility, but to the community as a whole. Recovery and successful reentry begin before release, and the TCARRS Matrix Model does just that by providing Peer Recovery Coaches to our inmates to meet them where they are.
Unlike traditional clinical-only models, the peer-led approach creates an environment of mutual understanding and trust by incorporating facilitators who have personal lived experience with recovery and overcoming life challenges. This helps participants feel seen, understood, and supported while reinforcing the message that recovery is possible.
Over 18 weeks, participants meet in groups to discuss and learn about such things as Early Recovery Skills-scheduling, RoadMap for Recovery, Guilt and Shame, Boredom, Relapse Prevention, Illness, Managing Anger, Roadmap for a Life Plan, Getting a Job, and so much more. All this being lead by those that have been incarcerated and have found success.
Across the six groups, 64 individuals participated, with 15 graduates successfully completing the program during this initial cycle - an important milestone in launching recovery programming inside the jail.
In a correctional setting, participation in recovery programming often comes with challenges including transfers, releases, court movement, and varying stages of readiness for change. Every person who engages in programming is taking a step toward personal growth, and every graduate represents meaningful commitment and perseverance.
A few comments from the graduates were:
“I look forward to building on the work done in my time in MATRIX through the RWI and Trinity program after this”.
“MATRIX and the TCARRS staff have helped me identify the main 2 reasons I kept using drugs and it was trauma and pain”.
“Jake and the TCARRS staff have helped me understand why I keep doing the same things over and over, and how my criminal thinking keeps me stuck and I don’t want to live that way anymore. Thank you to the TCARRS staff”.
Below are a few pictures from the graduations that took place on Monday and Tuesday. Please join us in congratulating these individuals on an accomplishment they may never have achieved if it wasn’t for Paul’s Plan Ministries, TCARRS, and our community partners. Thank you to everyone involved and a special thank you to those that took a major step toward a better life.
Have a great reset of the week everyone
