A decade after Indiana overhauled its criminal code to reduce incarceration, lawmakers approved more than a dozen new crimes and sentencing enhancements.
The new laws, set to take effect July 1, were passed in this year’s long legislative session. Among the changes are stricter sentences for fentanyl-related offenses, harsher penalties for resisting law enforcement and criminalizing swatting – or falsely reporting an emergency.
The Indiana Department of Correction is nearing full capacity, according to a recent prison population report. As of June, state prison facilities were operating at 94.38% capacity – with one prison over 100% full. The system currently houses 25,305 inmates, with a total of 26,812 beds…