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Todd‑Wadena Community Corrections reports steady caseloads, rising juvenile cases and potential STS funding loss
Summary
A June 3 work session update from Todd‑Wadena Community Corrections showed adult probation caseloads have trended down while juvenile probation cases rose; director Kathy reported the state will terminate a Sentence-to-Service (STS) contract June 30, costing the program roughly $26,000 in 2025 and prompting planning for operations in 2026.
Todd‑Wadena Community Corrections Director Kathy presented a departmental update during the June 3 work session that reviewed caseload trends, program outcomes and a sudden reduction in state funding for the Sentence‑to‑Service (STS) crew.
Kathy said adult probation caseloads have trended down in recent years, with roughly half of cases felony level; she reported that adult supervised‑release numbers have been steady but that the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act (MRRA) could increase supervised releases beginning in September. Kathy also said juvenile probation caseloads have risen and that juvenile predispositional investigations more than doubled from 2023 to 2024.
On program outcomes, Kathy reported favorable recidivism figures in the department’s internal review: of 264 adult probation clients discharged in 2021, 36 (about 14%) had new convictions in the following three years; for supervised release discharges in 2021, 14 of 16 had no new convictions; and Community Concern for Youth (juvenile diversion) showed about 97% of participants had no convictions during the follow‑up period the department examined.
Kathy gave the board two operational items that require near‑term attention. First, the STS program — which provides crew work sites and supervision — received notice the state contract funding will be terminated effective June 30. Kathy said the STS grant for the full year had been roughly $51,000 and that the county will lose approximately $26,000 for the remainder of 2025. She said current STS staffing includes one full‑time crew leader (Lee Miron) plus three part‑time crew leaders whose combined FTE equals 0.75, for a total ~1.75 FTE dedicated to STS crew leadership. Kathy told the board the statute governing injuries for STS crews remains in effect and that the executive committee will convene to consider options for running STS the remainder of 2025 and for 2026.
Second, Kathy reviewed reporting requirements and the department’s statutory obligations for pretrial bail evaluations, pre‑sentence investigations and transfer investigations. She said pretrial bail evaluations and pre‑sentence investigations have trended down and that methamphetamine is a recurring factor in a portion of those cases (she cited roughly 18–20% meth-related in certain report types).
Kathy asked commissioners to identify any additional data they want to inform budget and program decisions; she said she will provide more granular breakouts (for example Todd vs. Wadena counts) if the board requests them. Commissioners asked several follow‑up questions about funding, intercounty cooperation for STS work, and whether the program could be restructured if state requirements change.
No formal board action was taken during the work session; Kathy said the executive committee will meet to decide how to proceed with STS funding and operational plans and that she would report back to the board. The board was told the county’s contribution split for the joint program is 60% Todd County and 40% Wadena County.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are those who spoke during the June 3 Todd County Board work session and are listed in the speakers section below.
