Mirror Indy investigation sparks action to keep hospital patients out of jail
A Mirror Indy investigation has prompted Marion County public defenders and prosecutors to divert people arrested at local hospitals from jail. The program, named Quality of Life, targets low-level misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct, resisting law enforcement, and trespassing. According to Kendal Gulbrandsen, a lawyer overseeing the misdemeanor division at the Marion County Public Defender Agency, the majority of these cases are driven by mental health or substance abuse issues.
Hospital officers often push for immediate arrest, but now, people taken to jail from hospitals for these offenses can enter the diversion program. If participants find housing or complete treatment for mental health or substance abuse through the program, their criminal charges are dropped. The program was initiated by the prosecutor's office in 2021, and public defenders are now specifically using it to refer individuals arrested at Indianapolis hospitals.
Eskenazi Health, IU Health, Ascension St. Vincent, and Community Health Network all have their own police departments, which operate with limited public oversight.
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