Polk County officials review jail trends, court changes and behavioral-health service gaps

Polk County officials on an administrative panel approved a semiannual report required for Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) funding and spent much of the meeting reviewing jail population trends, staffing changes, and how recent and pending legislation is likely to affect courts and behavioral-health services.

The semiannual JRI report covering Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025, was presented and approved by voice vote. County Administrator Greg Hansen described the submission as a technical requirement and summarized elements of the report, including jail-based mental health counseling statistics and program goals aimed at reducing lengths of stay and recidivism.

County officials said the county jail has seen an uptick in intake and noted a sustained increase over the past year. Sheriff Mark Art reported average daily jail counts recently in the “mid 140s,” up from roughly 120 about a month to six weeks earlier. The sheriff said patrol staffing is at full strength on paper and that several deputies are in training.

Polk County District Attorney Eric Felton and other justice partners discussed court workload and staffing. Felton said his office is filling attorney positions — an attorney hire will start Aug. 18 — and that a recently filled legal assistant position is helping case-processing capacity. Felton told the group his office is monitoring potential federal and state grant cuts that could affect victim advocate staffing and said his office will seek updates at the upcoming Oregon District Attorneys Association conference, particularly on a behavioral-health legislative package passed this session.

Public defense capacity also drew attention. A defense provider representative told the meeting that public defense contracts have been extended to Oct. 1 while a proposed two-year contract is refined; the representative said the proposed contract was not run by the Department of Justice and cautioned the county may lose a provider that performs a substantial amount of misdemeanor work if the contract issues are not resolved.

Several speakers described how behavioral-health changes are already affecting day-to-day operations. Health and human services staff said the county’s rapid-access docket and onsite forensic evaluations in the jail are reducing reliance on hospital transports and helping the county meet statutory timelines. Staff also reported that the number of Polk County patients at the Oregon State Hospital has decreased, a change attributed in part to the hospital’s strict admission restrictions. Civil commitments are reportedly up.

Officials also described program changes and funding pressures elsewhere. The sheriff reported the county’s seasonal marine program ended June 30 after Marion County reduced its funding contribution by about 30 percent; Marion County will take over the program. A local nonprofit representative said state-level action on House Bill 3196 has not happened and that the organization faces an approximate 42 percent cut to a biennial allocation that funded a medical provider, with the outcome uncertain.

Board members and staff described local efforts to divert people from jail. The district attorney’s office said it has broadened a deflection policy to allow non-law-enforcement referrals to receive a “second look” for referral into the county’s deflection process; officials said participation rates vary and some referred people do not engage with services.

No formal actions were taken on staffing or grant applications at the meeting beyond approval of the JRI semiannual report and routine minutes. County leaders said they will continue monitoring grant decisions, staffing transitions and the operational effects of recently passed behavioral-health legislation.

The board set its next meeting for Nov. 3.