District attorney seeks staff, space and startup funding to open Family Justice Center in Adams County

Seventeenth Judicial District District Attorney Brian Mason asked Adams County commissioners to support the startup and initial operating costs for a proposed Family Justice Center (FJC) that would collocate victim services, law enforcement liaisons and court support in a single site.

Mason said the district attorney’s office will focus 2026 growth and staffing requests on launching the FJC and outlined nine staff positions he said are required for initial operations. The list included an executive director to run the center, two client navigators to assess arriving victims and coordinate services, an intake/reception position, a combined client‑services/volunteer coordinator, a victim advocate to support victims using virtual court services, a dedicated investigator for victims who report crimes at the FJC, a finance/administrative specialist, and a development coordinator to pursue philanthropic and other outside funding to sustain the center over time.

Mason said the DA’s office conducted national research and site visits to other Family Justice Centers and designed the request to meet what practitioners describe as the minimum staff needed to open and safely operate a center: an executive director plus navigators and direct victim services. He added the office is pursuing a three‑year operating location in an existing county building (the Pete Morales Building) while the long‑term structure and regional partnerships are finalized.

The DA told commissioners the center is intended to allow victims to access multiple services — safety planning, legal assistance, restraining orders and social and behavioral services — without traveling to different locations, and to reduce the risk for victims during transitions out of abusive situations. Mason stressed that many victims who would use the FJC may not be reporting crimes to police; he said 70–80 percent of walk‑ins at other FJCs do not have a formal criminal case at the time they seek services.

Mason said the county already funds planning and a family‑justice coordinator but that the ED and the bulk of the nine positions he proposed are new operating resources needed to open doors, supervise volunteers and coordinate partner agencies. He said some positions could be phased to match the opening timeline and that the DA’s office is exploring grants, state and utility rebates for infrastructure and other external funding sources to reduce the county’s share. The DA asked the board to consider funding two positions by January (the executive director and finance/administrative assistant) so the executive director could begin pre‑opening planning.

Commissioners pressed the DA on opportunities for shared services, use of existing county reception or caseworker staff to reduce new hires, and on strategies to coax regional partners and municipalities to contribute financially to a center that would serve residents of multiple jurisdictions. Mason said while the DA’s office is open to shared staffing, the FJC’s model depends on a single executive and dedicated navigation staff who report to that ED, and that volunteers and partner agencies are essential but cannot replace the core, on‑site staff needed to operate a trauma‑informed center.

Mason said the DA’s office will return with more detailed staffing and budget timing, and commissioners requested additional documentation to support staffing phases and options for partial contracting of services rather than full county hires. Mason also noted that while he did not request all of the DA office’s unmet needs in 2026, the DA remains short on investigators and diversion staff that will likely need additional support in later budget cycles.

No formal board approval of funding was sought during the presentation; the DA said he would follow the regular budget process and return with refined figures and timelines for the commission to consider.