Indiana Advisory Committee

Hate Crimes in Indiana

The Indiana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is studying how hate crimes are processed and treated in Indiana. This study includes an assessment of where gaps or loopholes in state and federal data, policies, and laws impair the reporting and enforcement of hate crimes, including arrests and convictions.

Background information on the topic, relevant federal, state, or local laws, and methodology for the investigation can be found in the Committee’s Project Proposal. The Project Proposal also highlights key questions that the Committee seeks to address in its investigation, which also informs potential speakers as to what information they should be presenting.

The Committee is hosting a series of online panel briefings to hear testimony from various stakeholders, including researchers, academics, advocates, government officials, and impacted individuals.

The collection of testimony will conclude 30 days after the Committee’s final briefing on the topic. The Committee will then distill findings and recommendations from the collected testimony. These findings and recommendations will be included in a report to the Commission on the Committee’s chosen topic.

Closed captioning is provided through Zoom and available by selecting "CC" in the meeting platform. Individuals requiring accommodations may contact svillanueva@usccr.gov at least 10 business days prior to the meeting.

There will be a public comment period near the end of the briefing. Members of the public may make comments for up to five minutes on the topic. Please note that the Committee is advisory in nature only and has no enforcement authority. The Committee, therefore, cannot investigate or resolve individual civil rights complaints.

Written comment will also be accepted—members of the public may submit written comments to svillanueva@usccr.gov within 30 days of the meeting to be included in the meeting records.

Meeting records are available publicly via the file sharing website here.

Each briefing is recorded and transcribed for the public record. To learn more about each briefing, please follow the button below:

For questions, please contact:

Sarah Villanueva, Support Specialist

svillanueva@usccr.gov

For those interested in following the Commission's work, please click on the "Stay Connected" button below.