Probation director outlines hiring push, 'raise the age' expansions and new youth evening center in 2026 budget

William Connors, director of the Albany County Probation Department, presented the department’s 2026 budget proposal on Oct. 23 and described a multi‑pronged effort to hire staff, expand youth programming and respond to changing caseloads caused by bail reform and raise‑the‑age laws.

Connors said probation conducts presentence and predisposition investigations for the county’s courts, supervises adult and juvenile offenders, acts as a lead agency for bail‑reform monitoring and serves as the county’s designated collection agent for court‑ordered restitution. He said the department has seen more complex, higher‑risk offenders and more court orders requiring GPS monitoring.

To address youth needs created by raise‑the‑age implementation, Connors said the department proposes several new positions that would be 100% reimbursed by New York State. He described a planned evening “boarding center” for youth that would provide structured programming, case management, schoolwork support and transportation in the evenings; the center would be operated under contract with a local provider, and probation staff would work evening shifts to check in youth and oversee services.

Connors said the department has hired 11 new staff so far this year but still has vacancies. He credited a change to New York State hiring rules (described in the hearing as “New York State Helps”) for streamlining recruitment by allowing hiring without civil‑service testing when candidates meet minimum education requirements. He said recruitment and retention remain top priorities and that some staff leave for state positions or other law‑enforcement jobs.

Committee members queried a sharp increase in the department’s “fees for services, raise‑the‑age” line, which the budget packet shows rising from about $437,870 actual in 2024 to about $593,000 adjusted in 2025 and roughly $1.2 million in 2026. Connors said those funds would pay for programming and contract services associated with the evening center and other raise‑the‑age services and that the line is 100% reimbursable by the state.

Connors described expanded training and certification the department provides, including a partnership with nearby counties and a training course at The College of Saint Rose for fundamentals of probation practice; he also said the department is the only probation office certified in New York State to provide a DMV pre‑licensing class it developed. He said the department recently received a new VCJS (State Division of Criminal Justice Services) grant called “Strive” that will support overtime for provisional officers and will partner with local DA, police and nonprofit partners to reduce harm in intimate partner violence cases.

On truancy prevention, Connors said the department will coordinate with schools, social workers and law enforcement to conduct home visits, engage families and provide services aimed at getting students back to school earlier in the absence of court petitions.

Connors told legislators that staffing shortages raise workloads and caseloads, and that vacancies “cause increased work levels” though he did not contend the department could not meet its statutory mission. He said probation officers do potentially dangerous fieldwork — home visits, substance testing and collecting DNA — and that the nature of visits has changed with court orders and prevalence of weapons.

No formal actions or votes were taken at the hearing on the probation budget; Connors’ presentation was followed by questions from members of the law and public safety committees.