Missoula County attorney asks commissioners to fund Calibrate diversion program amid federal grant cuts

Missoula County Attorney Matt Jennings told the Board of County Commissioners that his office is requesting a $213,000 annual appropriation to preserve Calibrate, the county's prosecution-led diversion program, after federal grant funding ends Sept. 30, 2025.

Jennings said Calibrate, launched in 2019, lets many low-level offenders avoid convictions after completing requirements, and reported the program has graduated about 50 people and recovered about $150,000 in direct restitution to victims. He presented three attorney-office budget items in reverse order: a withdrawn e-discovery deduplication tool, an optional LexisNexis AI legal-research add-on costing about $34,000 a year, and the Calibrate funding request.

Jennings said the deduplication software was withdrawn due to budget constraints and that the LexisNexis AI add-on showed substantial time savings in a 30-day trial but is not essential now. He framed Calibrate as the office's first priority. "Calibrate demonstrates how that can be accomplished," Jennings said, describing the program as a way to hold people accountable while avoiding convictions that can impede employment and housing.

The county attorney laid out funding options: full hard-funding at the requested $213,000 a year to maintain the program at current staffing and services; a reduced approach costing roughly $160,000 for three quarters of a fiscal year to carry the program through the current grant runway; and a bare-bones option of about $55,000 to retain one program specialist for three quarters while moving other duties in-house and cutting rent and travel. Jennings warned that losing a program specialist would sharply curtail the program's intake and supervision capacity; "If we lose a program specialist, it really is immediately that we would probably graduate people quicker than we were planning to," he said.

Jennings also gave context on grants: Calibrate originally had MacArthur funding, later a competitive $600,000 grant that funded two FTEs and facilities rent; that grant expires Sept. 30. He said federal grant solicitations have been withdrawn in several areas and advised commissioners not to rely on federal renewals as certain. "If the grant does come out, we will apply for it, and I hope that we're successful, but I think you shouldn't expect that," he said.

No formal funding decision was recorded at the meeting. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about staffing and costs; Jennings said some administrative duties could be absorbed into the county attorney's office but that program specialist positions are essential to maintain Calibrate's current services. The presentation closed with no motion on the budget request recorded during the meeting.

The discussion also included operational notes: two program specialists supervise participants, one administrative position supports the program; the program collects restitution at higher rates than traditional probation; and the county attorney's office has implemented discovery improvements in prior budgets. Commissioners did not vote to adopt or reject the Calibrate funding request during the session.

Looking ahead, Jennings said he will continue to present Calibrate funding needs in annual budget cycles and recommended commissioners weigh the program's cost against the alternatives of returning to traditional prosecutions that typically lead to convictions and higher downstream costs.