Deschutes County community justice budget highlights detention staffing, treatment and possible regional options

D. V. Holcomb, director of Deschutes County Community Justice, told the budget committee the division is proposing a limited-growth budget for fiscal 2026 while holding some vacancies and eliminating FTE to absorb uncertainty.

Holcomb said the department has about 83 staff and two divisions, adult and juvenile supervision, and that juvenile outcomes remain generally positive: “75% of young people paid their entire restitution obligation,” Holcomb said. She also noted reductions in community service completions tied to staffing changes.

The nut graf: Community Justice leaders said they can sustain current services for now by holding vacant positions, using vacancy savings and pursuing grants — including Medicaid reimbursement for juvenile substance-use treatment — but warned that future years will require clearer budget choices or new revenue to avoid cutting key programs or staff.

Officials described three budget and program pressures. First, detention operations: the county’s juvenile facility has declined population but fixed overhead, and staff are testing whether a reduced minimum staffing level can be maintained safely. Holcomb said an operations assessment found a minimum safe level of about 16 staff at the detention facility (current FTE ~19), and that leaders are piloting a smaller staffing configuration.

Second, treatment and recovery: the agency is pursuing certification to bill Medicaid for family- and community-based substance-use disorder treatment for youth. Trevor Stevens, business manager, said contracting for a medical director and finalizing reimbursements could take 12–13 months and that opioid-settlement and local health council grants are being used to build peer recovery supports.

Third, community service capacity has been reduced after community service specialist positions were held vacant; Holcomb said crews for adults are now offered one day a week and juvenile participants are being connected to community nonprofits instead of county-run crews.

Commissioners pressed leaders on whether fixed detention overhead justified exploring regional options. Commissioner Adair urged staff to “sit together, and with community members, really look at how we want to deploy our precious resources for young people,” and Holcomb said staff will meet individually with commissioners and solicit stakeholder input about regional partnerships or shared facilities.

The budget request includes a 3.26% increase in general-fund transfer for Community Justice. Stevens said 78% of juvenile-side resources are transfers from the general fund, 16% is beginning working capital and about 6% from state grants and other revenue, and that the department is actively seeking additional outside funding.

Looking ahead, staff warned decisions for fiscal 2027 will be harder: without new revenue or lower cost structures, officials said the county may be asked to accept reductions in services, furloughs, or deeper FTE cuts. Holcomb and Stevens asked the committee to set direction for further study of detention alternatives and to support ongoing grant and Medicaid-billing efforts.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return with more analysis of detention staffing options, potential regional partnerships, and the financial timelines for juvenile Medicaid billing; Community Justice leaders said they will pursue stakeholder meetings and report back during the budget process.