Pine County probation reports fewer juvenile placements and shorter stays in 2024

Terry Faucet, Pine County probation director, told the Pine County Board of Commissioners that the county placed 36 juveniles in 2024 across 60 placements, with an average length of stay of 18 days — the lowest average in recent years.

Faucet said probation budgeted $361,000 for out‑of‑home placements and related items last year and spent $223,000, leaving the county under budget by about $138,000. He said the county recovered about $8,400 from families. Faucet described three high‑cost placements — each a so‑called “budget buster” — that together accounted for a disproportionate share of cost and bed days: three juveniles represented roughly 8% of the placed juveniles but about 65% of placement bed days and 60% of total placement cost.

The probation director said placement decisions are based on public safety, the best interests of the child, least‑restrictive settings and a risk‑assessment instrument used along with input from probation and the county attorney. Faucet described an emphasis on short‑term interventions and community programming rather than long institutional stays.

Faucet noted several community and programmatic strategies intended to reduce placements and support youth in Pine County. He said the county participates in the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) and that JDAI may award the county about $100,000 for programming; he also described a restorative‑practices grant application submitted by a community partner and noted the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $8 million for restorative practices two years earlier. Faucet described youth early truancy intervention (YETI) as a promising local program: of 24 attendees last year, 19 had not been petitioned to juvenile court after completing the program.

Faucet described contract arrangements with the East Central Regional Juvenile Center (RJC), including a member daily rate (he cited figures in the $325–$375 per day range depending on contract year) and the importance of having member beds to avoid ad hoc statewide placements. He said Pine County’s contract provides access to about 100 beds on campus, which he called critical to avoid long transports and placement instability.

Electronic monitoring (GPS) was highlighted as a cost‑effective alternative to placement; Faucet said the county logged 480 electronic monitoring days last year at a cost of $6,834 and estimated that, since 2003, electronic monitoring saved over $2 million compared with placing youth in secure facilities.

Faucet and commissioners discussed long‑term trends in facility availability across the state. Faucet said several regional facilities have closed or been repurposed in recent years, leaving fewer placement options and increasing pressure on remaining facilities.

The presentation concluded with questions from commissioners about tracking long‑term outcomes for high‑cost youth and the statewide bed supply. Faucet said long‑term outcomes are largely anecdotal but stressed collaboration with Health and Human Services and community partners to address underlying needs such as trauma, mental health and truancy.

The board did not take formal action on the report; it was presented as the annual juvenile out‑of‑home placement and corrections overview for 2024.