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Department of Corrections cuts reduce local community corrections grant; audit praised administrative controls

5812573 · September 2, 2025
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Summary

County staff reported a state Department of Corrections funding reduction that required a grant resubmission, a vacant position elimination and use of client fees; the board also received a favorable audit of local spending controls.

County corrections staff told the Grama County Community Corrections Board on Sept. 2 that state budget reductions to Department of Corrections (DOC) funding prompted deeper cuts to community corrections grants statewide, including a roughly $120,000 reduction for the county.

"Community corrections cuts were a little bit deeper, and that resulted in about a $120,000 cut for us," said Chris, the county DOC representative. He said the state also ceased funding for certain jail-treatment, prosecutor diversion and pretrial programs supported by DOC, requiring the county to resubmit its grant with revised line items.

Chris said the county’s grant package listed a general community corrections grant (amounts in packet) and an identified reentry/recidivism program; he stated the total award figure in the packet as "$1,000,001.57" (as read in the meeting). To balance the reduced award, staff eliminated one vacancy that had already arisen and drew on client-fee revenue labeled "project impact" to cover the shortfall.

"We had to cut a position out of our grant. Luckily, we had one that had been vacated," Chris said, and added county staff expect additional pressure in 2027 if state funding does not change.

The board also reviewed a recently completed financial audit. "We received a stellar audit, and most of that has to do with Sarah and our administrative support staff who work really hard to make sure we spend the money appropriately," Chris said.

Board members and staff discussed the state funding formula and its history. One member said community corrections funding formulas established after criminal-code reforms in 2015 were not fully implemented and that the current DOC funding decisions appeared to revert to an older formula focused on population categories.

No immediate local program eliminations were authorized at the meeting; staff said they had adjusted grant line items and staffing to reflect the revised state award and would continue monitoring legislative action and future budget cycles.

Ending: County staff said they will continue to track state-level budget actions and report back to the board if additional changes are required.