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Board approves budget modification to accept Criminal Justice Commission funding for specialty courts
Summary
The board approved a budget modification to accept additional grant funding from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to partially backfill shortfalls for four specialty courts that provide alternatives to incarceration.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a budget modification to accept additional Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) grant funding intended to support the county's specialty courts, programs that provide alternatives to incarceration for qualifying justice-involved individuals.
The budget modification covers additional, mostly one-time, funding awarded after the state short session. Department of Community Justice Director Denise Pena and partners from the District Attorney's Office described the four programs supported by the grant: Dewey Intensive Supervision Program (DISCORT), a mental health court, START (Success Through Accountability, Restitution and Treatment) drug court, and STEP (Strategic Treatment and Engagement Program), which targets certain Measure 11 prison-bound cases for diversion and treatment.
Denise Pena said the county applied during the biennium for specialty-court funding and that House Bill 5,024 provided additional dollars in the short session to backfill earlier shortfalls tied to House Bill 4,002. Michelle Myers, finance director for the District Attorney's Office, and DCJ staff explained that the additional award addresses partial shortfalls for fiscal 2025 and includes some new one-time positions.
Presenters outlined where the county fell short in the initial award and what was partially restored by the supplemental funding: DISCORT faced a shortfall of about $257,000, START about $500,000, STEP about $1,000,000, and the mental health court about $784,000. The supplemental award also funded an additional parole and probation officer position for STEP and included one requested deputy district attorney position for the DA's office as part of the county's overall request, according to presenters.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Vasquez told the board the specialty courts are central to the county's daily case processing and provide intensive supervision and treatment that reduce prison commitments and lower recidivism. He and DCJ staff described the courts as opportunities to avoid state Department of Corrections sentences and said the courts generally show favorable recidivism and cost outcomes compared with incarceration.
Commissioner Joan Stixson moved approval of the budget modification R2; Commissioner Moyer seconded. The board voted to approve the modification.
Staff noted the CJC award is largely one-time funding and that revenues from the award will need careful monitoring; the current award runs through December 2025 and counties generally await the next biennium allocation. DCJ and the DA's office said they will continue to pursue sustained legislative funding for specialty courts and that program metrics and outcomes are being tracked as part of grant compliance.
Speakers included Denise Pena (Director, Department of Community Justice), Michelle Myers (Finance Director, Multnomah County District Attorney's Office), Jay Scrogg (Interim Deputy Director, DCJ), Colby Dixon (Business Services Manager, DCJ), and District Attorney Mike Vasquez. The board voted to accept the modification and directed staff to administer the awarded funds and continue coordination with state grant processes and legislative advocacy.
