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Judiciary seeks juvenile bed capacity and statewide pretrial expansion amid detention and treatment shortages
Summary
Court leaders told the House Budget Committee they need more juvenile detention beds and additional pretrial services funding to reduce pretrial incarceration; the judiciary requested funding to add 24 beds across two circuits, and asked to expand pretrial programs in several circuits though the governor did not recommend the full expansion.
Missouri judicial leaders told the House Budget Committee they are facing increased juvenile detention demand and seek additional bed capacity and staffing, while separately urging expansion of statewide pretrial services to reduce unnecessary pretrial incarceration.
Betsy Ledgerwood described immediate juvenile needs tied to Raise-the-Age and changes at the Department of Youth Services. "We are holding youth that are potentially or and quite frankly are committing a higher level of crime because of the change in the certification laws," Ledgerwood said, adding the court asked for an increase that would add 16 beds in the Thirteenth Circuit (Boone County) and 8 beds in the 26th Circuit (Lake of the Ozarks), 29 FTEs and associated operating costs. The governor recommended $1.4 million toward the request, Ledgerwood said; the judiciary asked for $2 million.
The judiciary also described pilot and expansion work on pretrial services, which the court characterizes as a public-safety and efficiency strategy that assesses defendants and provides supervision or services when appropriate. "It's important that we know the likelihood that offender is going to reoffend and that we're only housing people in jail who are either a danger to the community or a flight risk," Ledgerwood told the committee.
Court officials said prior pilot sites produced higher pretrial release compliance and that expansions were underway or planned in multiple circuits; the governor did not recommend broad expansion funding in FY26. Committee members asked for evidence on cost savings, and the court said other states with robust pretrial systems have reported savings and that the judiciary would attempt to supply ROI materials.
Why it matters: juvenile bed shortages can force family separation and long transports; pretrial expansions aim to reduce jail populations, improve court appearance rates and direct eligible defendants to treatment programs.
Committee action and next steps: the committee requested more data on bed locations, the number of mothballed DYS beds, ROI research on pretrial returns and county-level costs; no formal vote was recorded at the hearing.
