Repeat drunk driver to be released from Indiana prison 1 year into 3-year sentence

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A repeat drunk driver is expected to be released from prison one year into his three-year prison sentence, due in part to a new state program that allows offenders to get time cuts from their sentences.

In July 2025, a Hendricks County judge sentenced Brian Patten of Indianapolis to three years in the Indiana Department of Correction, followed by one year of work release.

“The defendant has a vast/extensive criminal history, and he is a danger to others,” read the sentencing order from Judge Dan Zielinski.

Court records show Patten has 10 drunk driving convictions dating back to 1995, including cases in Ohio, California, and Oregon, plus four convictions in Marion County, Indiana.

His driving record shows the Indiana BMV has suspended his license 19 times.

Patten’s projected release date from the Edinburgh Correctional Facility in Johnson County is now listed as Aug. 9, 2026.

Patten pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, a Level 6 felony.

One reason Patten will be released early is because of a new state program called Case Plan Credit Time.

CPCT took effect in 2022 and allows individual offenders to follow a case plan and earn credits based on progress...