1933 to 2021:  IPA to IPPA to ICA to ICJA

The Indiana Criminal Justice Association was founded in 1933 as the Indiana Probation Association. At that time, Probation was under the authority of the circuit court of each county. The state correction system was a division of the Indiana Department of Public Welfare. It was totally decentralized. A parole officer was assigned to each welfare department supervised by the county welfare director.

In 1953, the Indiana General Assembly created the Indiana Department of Correction as an agency of State government. This was done to provide a centralized authority for the management of all State correctional facilities and operations. In 1961 a Division of Probation was established within the IDOC to provide general supervision over the administration of juvenile and adult probation of all courts in the state. The Division of Parole was also established within the IDOC severing any relationship with the Welfare Department.

In 1950, the membership of the Indiana Probation Association voted to change the name of the association to the Indiana Probation and Parole Association. This reflected the growing number of parole staff seeing the need for a professional association to meet the needs of corrections, which was growing in professional stature.

As the decade of the 1950’s progressed into the 1960’s, the Association reached out to other areas of corrections and disciplines within the Criminal Justice System. Professionals from institutions, law enforcement, community correctional based programs, the judiciary and related programs were joining the association, seeing it was a vehicle to address issues of mutual interest.

The minutes of the June 13, 1965 Executive Board meeting chaired by President Richard Martin of Evansville states that there is a discussion concerning the changing of the Association’s name to the Indiana Correctional Association. The Executive Committee voted in favor of placing the proposed change on the agenda for the membership to consider at the annual meeting dated September 24, 1965. In the report of the Resolutions Committee, chaired by James F. Harlow, the following resolution was presented:

Whereas, be it resolved that the Indiana Probation and Parole Association be changed in name to the Indiana Correctional Association.

The membership voted unanimously in favor of the Resolution.

To reflect the various disciplines within the criminal justice system and the community that makes up the Indiana Correctional Association, the Executive Board commissioned an Evansville artist to submit design for review. The only reference to this is found in the December 4, 1968 meeting minutes, which says “The brochure is completed, a seal was chosen and it is hoped it will be ready for the January 15, 1969 meeting.”

The logo then adorns everything that is ICA. It enhances the credibility of ICA and represents the various disciplines that make up the membership.

The membership seeing yet again another change in the criminal justice field, voted at the October 8, 2010 annual meeting voted to change the name of the association to the Indiana Criminal Justice Association (ICJA).