Dearborn County judges, commissioners agree to add one full-time juvenile attendant as revenue from out‑of‑county placements grows

Dearborn County officials on June 1 agreed to add one full‑time youth‑attendant position at the county juvenile center and to cut part‑time and overtime lines to test whether converting hours to a full‑time post reduces churn and total labor costs. The agreement came after the juvenile center manager described sustained higher populations and new out‑of‑county revenue.

The juvenile center’s leader told the commissioners the center generated about $500,000 in revenue from out‑of‑county placements and that staffing with part‑time employees and overtime had become unsustainable when average daily population rose above the eight‑per‑staff threshold. “When you go over 8, that’s where we believe start liening money for full time positions,” the manager said, citing the 1‑per‑8 ratio recommended in a 2019 study the county commissioned. The manager asked for one or two full‑time positions but said a single full‑time hire would likely reduce part‑time costs and overtime.

Commissioners discussed keeping the county’s juvenile program available to surrounding counties while protecting Dearborn residents’ access. One commissioner suggested temporarily testing a single full‑time hire and cutting part‑time from $100,000 to $50,000 and overtime from $100,000 to $30,000, then measuring results. The juvenile center manager agreed that a pilot would show whether the staffing change reduces part‑time reliance and overtime costs. The commission proceeded with the experiment, approving one new position and the proposed reductions subject to mid‑year review.

Officials and the manager also discussed operational and policy context: the center detains juveniles from roughly 33 counties, takes higher per‑diem fees for waived juveniles (those transferred toward adult court), and faces federal restrictions that prevent placing juveniles in adult facilities. Commissioners praised the center’s programming, which staff said had increased and helped some youngsters leave the program better prepared for court and community supervision.

The commissioners and staff noted broader fiscal constraints driven by state‑level changes to revenue sharing and that the county had warned staff not to expect across‑the‑board raises because of those revenue pressures. The juvenile center manager said the county’s anticipated revenue reductions made it important to try cost‑neutral ways to stabilize services. The commissioners asked the manager to return with data in several months showing whether the full‑time conversion reduced part‑time and overtime costs and maintained service levels.