Polk County community corrections warns state budget exercises could cut more than $100,000 and strain staff

Jody Merritt, Polk County Community Corrections director, told the Polk County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 21 that proposed state Department of Corrections reductions could reduce the county program's biennium funding by just over $100,000 and that staffing vacancies are increasing caseload pressure.

Merritt said the reductions are part of an exercise the governor's office and state Department of Corrections circulated to state departments after the state anticipated a federal-related revenue shortfall. "The Department of Corrections initially was provided with an $18,000,000 reduction ask," Merritt said, and the package she reviewed included targeted cuts that would affect community corrections funding, DUI reimbursements to the sheriff's office, and several grant and transition funds.

Why it matters: Merritt said cuts would reduce the community corrections allocation by several discrete items — including a $1,000,000 reduction tied to a criminal fines account, an additional $1,800,000 reduction from that account (which she said would translate to a roughly $43,000 hit for Polk County), and proposed elimination of treatment-transition funds (funds…