DARDEN, Judge.
Amanda D. Brown appeals the trial court's sentencing order following the trial court's determination that Brown failed to successfully complete a pre-conviction forensic diversion program ("pre-conviction diversion program").
We reverse and remand.
On October 14, 2010, Brown was arrested by Tell City police when they found drugs in her home during a lawful search.
On February 22, 2011, the trial court verbally accepted a written plea agreement that called for Brown to plead guilty to Count 2: possession of marijuana, a class D felony, with all other counts dismissed. Under the terms of the agreement, Brown would be sentenced to the Department of Correction for three years, with credit for time served in pretrial detention of 131 days. The sentence was stayed under Indiana Code section 11-12-3.7-11, a statute that allows the offender to plead guilty and request placement in a pre-conviction diversion program.
Apparently, Perry County does not have a residential treatment facility, and on or about February 24, 2011, Brown reported to the YWCA diversion program in Vanderburgh
On March 22, 2011, the Director of Perry County Community Corrections filed a notice of violation alleging that Brown had left the YWCA diversion program without permission. Three days later, the Director filed a second notice of violation alleging that Brown tested positive for marijuana on March 21, 2011. Brown was arrested on March 25, 2011, and was incarcerated while awaiting the trial court's determination regarding the notices of violation.
At a hearing on April 20, 2011, Brown admitted that she failed to cooperate with the YWCA by leaving the diversion program before its scheduled termination. Brown further admitted that she told YWCA officials that she would not be able to pass the March 21, 2011 drug test. Brown requested a second chance at the program and, alternatively, she requested credit for time served and credit time for days spent in incarceration and in the pre-conviction diversion program.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court found that Brown was "in violation of the conditions of the Substance Abuse Court Program of Perry County." (Tr. 82). The trial court terminated Brown's participation in the pre-conviction diversion program, lifted the stay, and pursuant to the plea agreement, entered judgment of conviction on the possession of marijuana count. The trial judge sentenced Brown to three years' incarceration and stated she would "absolutely give you any time that you served on this case as credit. I will have my court reporter check any day that you served either before you went to the Y or after you went that you are being held currently. I will give you credit for all that time." (Tr. 82-83).
In its written sentencing order, the trial court gave Brown 27 days credit for time served in the Perry County Jail between the March 25, 2011 date of her arrest for violation of the pre-conviction diversion program through the April 20, 2011 date of sentencing. No other credit for time served or credit time was given.
Brown contends that the trial court erred in failing to give her credit for time served in the Perry County Jail prior to her assignment to the pre-conviction diversion program. Brown maintains that she served 132 days in jail from the date of her original arrest on October 14, 2010, through the date of release to Community Corrections on or about February 23, 2011. Brown further maintains that she served 27 days in jail from the time of her arrest on March 25, 2011, through sentencing on April 20, 2011. Brown argues that she is entitled to 159 days credit for time served in jail during these two time periods.
The State concedes that this case "should be remanded to clarify the trial court's finding and to ensure that it is
The State is correct that the trial court's February 23, 2011 written entry accepting the plea agreement indicates Brown is entitled to at least 131 days credit for time served. However, it is clear that the trial court did not incorporate the award of credit into its final sentencing order. Thus, we remand with instructions that the trial court enter an order that complies with Indiana Code section 35-38-3-2(b)(4) showing credit for both periods of pre-sentencing confinement.
Brown also contends that the trial court erred in failing to award credit time for the periods of incarceration discussed above.
"[A] trial court's sentencing judgment must include both days imprisoned before sentencing and the credit time earned thereby, thus reflecting any credit time deprivation imposed before sentencing." Id. (explaining Indiana Code section 35-38-3-2(b)(4), which provides that the trial court's judgment of conviction and sentence must include "the amount of credit, including credit time earned, for time spent in confinement before sentencing"). In an effort "to facilitate the fair and expeditious resolution of appellate litigation arising from these judgments," our supreme court has adopted the following presumption: "sentencing judgments that report only days spent in presentence confinement and fail to expressly designate credit time earned shall be understood by the courts and by the Department of Correction automatically to award the number of credit time days equal to the number of pre-sentence confinement days." Id.
In order to make its judgment of sentence consistent with Indiana Code section 35-38-3-2(b)(4), the trial court should state in its revised sentencing judgment the number of credit time days earned by Brown during her pre-diversion and pre-sentencing incarcerations, a number that will match the credit for days served. This statement will prevent the need to resort to judicial presumptions.
Brown further contends that the trial court erred in failing to credit her for time served and for credit time in residential treatment at the YWCA as part of the
Brown was placed in the pre-conviction diversion program under Indiana Code section 11-12-3.7, which does not specifically refer to the application of credit for time served or credit time. However, Brown cites Indiana Code section 35-50-6-6, which provides that "[a] person imprisoned for a crime earns credit time irrespective of the degree of security to which he is assigned." She notes that credit time is available to offenders on home detention and others directly placed in community corrections programs under Indiana Code section 35-38-2.6-6, although such detention is, in Brown's opinion, less restrictive than a residential drug treatment diversion program like the one in which she participated.
We initially observe that Indiana Code section 35-50-6-6 refers to a person who has been sentenced and who has been imprisoned for a crime. The statute does not appear to apply to a person, like Brown, who has served in a pre-conviction diversion program. Furthermore, Indiana Code section 35-38-2.6-6 applies to a person who, unlike Brown, has been placed in a community corrections program as a result of a direct placement. Accordingly, neither statute applies to the issue before us.
In Molden v. State, 750 N.E.2d 448 (Ind. Ct.App.2001), we addressed the issue of whether a person in pretrial home detention may be entitled to credit toward her sentence. We quoted Purcell v. State, 721 N.E.2d 220, 224 n. 6 (Ind.1999) for the proposition that "a defendant is only entitled to credit time toward sentence for pretrial time served in a prison, jail[,] or other facility [that] imposes substantially similar restrictions upon personal liberty." Id. at 450. The question then, is whether the pre-conviction diversion program imposed restrictions upon Brown that are substantially similar to those imposed upon personal liberty in a prison or jail.
In Dixon v. State, 685 N.E.2d 715 (Ind. Ct.App.1997), we addressed the issue of whether Dixon was entitled to credit time for time he spent in an in-patient rehabilitation program and a half-way house prior to his conviction. We stated that in Capes v. State, 634 N.E.2d 1334 (Ind.1994), our supreme court held that pretrial home detention qualified for credit time because Indiana Code section 35-38-2.6-6 allowed credit time to individuals assigned to community corrections programs and placed on home detention as part of their sentence. Id. at 717. We further stated that Capes was not controlling on the issue of credit time for voluntary rehabilitation programs, as such programs were "not equivalent to serving time on home detention." Id. at 718. We then held that the programs in which Dixon served were not as restrictive as home detention.
Here, the State cites Dixon in support of its argument that credit is not due to Brown for time spent in the residential drug treatment program at the YWCA, while Brown cites elements of the program that might indicate that the program is more restrictive than the programs assessed in Dixon.
It is clear from the transcript of the fact finding hearing that the trial court and the parties were familiar with the specific limitations and requirements of the YWCA's diversion program. After all, the trial court ordered Brown to serve the pre-conviction diversion program at the YWCA, a community corrections case manager, by his own testimony, chose the Evansville YWCA's program as a proper venue for the pre-conviction diversion program,
The trial court appears to have erred in not awarding Brown credit for time served and credit time for days spent in jail before her actual entrance into the pre-conviction diversion program at the YWCA. In addition, the trial court erred in not awarding Brown credit time for days she spent in jail between her arrest for violation of the pre-conviction diversion program and her sentencing date. We reverse and remand with instructions that the trial court amend its sentencing statement in accordance with our holding.
The record is insufficient to support appellate review regarding the issue of whether Brown is entitled to credit and/or credit time for time spent in the pre-conviction diversion program. We remand with instructions.
Reversed and remanded.
FRIEDLANDER, J., and VAIDIK, J., concur.