LAWRENCE CO. – According to Lawrence County Prosecutor Sam Arp, Crime in Lawrence County is on a downward trend.
Prosecutor Arp has released statistical data on criminal case filings from his office.
The reporting period is from January 1 through May 5, 2019-2024.
January 1 – May 5
- 2019 – 625 Cases Filed
- 2020 – 511 Cases Filed
- 2021 – 513 Cases Filed
- 2022 – 392 Cases Filed
- 2023 – 371 Cases Filed
- 2024 – 356 Cases Filed
January 1- December 31
- 2019 – 1918 Cases Filed
- 2020 – 1539 Cases Filed
- 2021 – 1407 Cases Filed
- 2022 – 1091 Cases Filed
- 2023 – 996 Cases Filed
Prosecutor Arp stated that the average daily jail population when he took office in 2019 was around
202 inmates, and the average inmate is currently in the 75-95 range. The Indiana Department of
Corrections value an inmate for $37.50 per day.
“Using these numbers, we are saving the Lawrence County taxpayers around 1.5 million dollars a year,” Arp added. “That the downward trend is a result of the efforts of the entire judicial system. My
administration has implemented programs for drug treatment, fixing driver’s licenses, job skills training, and G.E.D. programs through Director of Career Development Joe Timbrook with the Lawrence County Growth Council. Helping people to get back on the right track and become employed dramatically reduces recidivism.”
Arp believes that the most significant impact he has seen in the last couple of years is that the judges hold people accountable when they violate probation.
“The defendants who violate probation and are sent to the Indiana Department of Corrections
are no longer in our community committing new crimes,” Prosecutor Arp added. “We incorporate our programs through our plea agreements. Once a judge accepts the plea agreement, the terms of the plea agreement are monitored by the probation department. They do an excellent job with this, and we rely heavily on them.”
