What happens when a young mother commits a nonviolent crime in Indiana? Oftentimes, she is sentenced to serve time in a women’s prison, leaving her children to the care of others. For the duration of her sentence, the mother-child bond is broken, and the responsibilities of parenting are paused. But sometimes, if she’s eligible, a judge can sentence a nonviolent female offender to an average of 6-18 months at Craine House…with her young children.
Founded in 1978, Craine House is an innovative work-release and reentry facility located on North Michigan Road in Indianapolis. Serving only nonviolent female offenders, the nonprofit organization offers programs to match individuals’ rehabilitation needs while working to address generational cycles of abuse, poverty and crime. Women come to Craine House when they’re nearing the end of a sentence with the Department of Corrections, or they’re assigned to Craine House in lieu of prison.
A unique aspect of Craine House is that residents can serve their time in a home-like setting with their young children. It is one of only six facilities in the U.S. and the only one in the Midwest where women can continue to parent their children while serving their sentences. The agency can house up to 40 women and their children under the age of five.
This innovative combination of promoting self-sufficiency and strengthening the mother-child bond is having positive results. Craine House has a recidivism rate of only 20%, compared to the national recidivism rate of more than 60%.*
Craine House residents complete onsite educational and job-readiness programs, including financial classes, high school equivalency courses and a certified culinary training curriculum. Women are expected to find outside employment within two weeks of arrival, and each resident uses her earnings to contribute to the cost of her stay at Craine House.
Suzy Pierce, Craine House Executive Director 
Alicia Cooley, President, Modern Day Therapy
Executive Director Suzy Pierce has led the staff and residents for more than 17 years. “The women at Craine House have made some bad decisions in their past, but they are not bad people.” Many women suffer lasting effects of trauma and often have family members who have experienced the criminal justice system.
One of the most important programs at Craine House, and a key differentiator from other work-release facilities, is the onsite counseling provided by Modern Day Therapy. Through these programs, residents receive individual and group counseling to address past trauma and ongoing emotional issues that can impede successful reentry into the community.
“Many things occur in the lives of women that bring them into the prison system,” said Alicia Cooley, MSW, LSW, and President of Modern Day Therapy. “Modern Day Therapy’s partnership with Craine House allows us to create tailored client-centered services to treat critical issues. And because we’re working in the same place where the women reside, we’re able to see their progress in real time.”
In addition to staff-led programs, residents enjoy the companionship of Levi, a trained service dog from ICAN (Indiana Canine Assistant Network) adopted by Craine House in 2019. While Levi is specially trained to recognize and respond to the signs of emotional distress, he’s also a willing playmate and happy distraction for residents.
In most circumstances, our community is better served—economically and socially—when eligible convicted women complete comprehensive reentry programs. Kelly M. Shaw of the Marion County Public Defender Agency said this in a 2019 blog post for the Indianapolis Bar Association. “Overall, Craine House is a great example of what attorneys and judges hope for in a sentence—a balance between punishment and rehabilitation that allows women who complete their sentence to become better members of our community.” *
Here’s how you can help:
- Donate to support the programs and services of Craine House here.
- Purchase and donate supplies from the Craine House Wish List. In addition to items on this list, the center is also in need of baby supplies.
* Why Craine House Should Always Be Considered For Sentencing https://www.indybar.org/?pg=CriminalJusticeNews&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=7914