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Spokane County pretrial staff warn proposed cut would reduce weekend reports and slow screenings
Summary
Pretrial Services explained to the Spokane County commissioners that a proposed reduction to one officer’s hours would save about $16,960 but would likely reduce weekend staffing, slow indigency screenings and delay first‑appearance evaluation reports judges rely on for release decisions.
Pretrial Services officials told the Spokane County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 29 that the unit runs on a small staff and that a proposed personnel reduction would affect weekend operations and court timelines.
The department said it operates seven days a week, 363 days a year, from a general‑fund budget of $1,186,000 and currently has about 11.5 full‑time employees paid from the general fund. The office conducts first‑appearance evaluations and indigency screenings for both superior and district courts, prepares criminal history checks and operates monitored‑release and felony diversion programs that supervise roughly 160 and 110–115 participants, respectively.
Commissioners heard that one…
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