Maricopa County judicial branch asks for 63 probation officers, juvenile overtime and family-court staff in FY2026 budget

Presiding Judge Joseph Welty told the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors that the judicial branch is seeking targeted increases in the fiscal 2026 budget to address rising probation caseloads, juvenile detention staffing pressures and family‑court workloads.

Welty said the branch is requesting 63 additional adult probation positions, funding to restore juvenile‑detention overtime, and six courtroom assistant positions to attach to superior court commissioners who will be shifted into family‑court calendars. “We are requesting an increase of 63 positions,” Welty said. He framed the request as a measured set of priorities selected from a larger internal list after an internal allocation study and collaboration with county budget staff.

The request stems from post‑pandemic growth in criminal filings and rising case complexity driven by higher‑risk cases, substance use and mental‑health needs, and homelessness, Welty said. He told the board the branch and county previously agreed on caseload ratios for adult probation through a joint study; state law requires counties of Maricopa’s size to set probation officer‑to‑probationer ratios in agreement with the court. “The caseload ratios for adult probation have been established by agreement between the county and the court,” Welty said.

Why it matters: the branch reported measurable pressure in juvenile detention staffing and spending. Welty said juvenile probation referrals rose 37% from FY22 to FY24 and that average daily detention population rose about 31% over the same period. He said juvenile detention exceeded its overtime budget by more than $1 million in each of the last two years and is projected to be about $1.4 million over budget this year. Those overruns have so far been covered by savings elsewhere in the branch, Welty said, but the branch cannot continue to absorb recurring shortfalls.

On recruitment and retention, Welty told the board juvenile‑detention vacancy rates had fallen from about 30% earlier in FY24 to below 15% after targeted incentives and engagement efforts, including recruitment differentials and referral bonuses. He contrasted that with adult‑probation hiring, which he described as “very successful” in filling officer positions.

Family court: Welty said the family department is the most stressed area of the superior court and proposed reallocating existing judicial commissioners to provide more in‑court coverage. To support that shift, he requested funding for six courtroom assistants (one per reassigned commissioner) as a more economical alternative to creating six new judicial divisions.

Capital and systems: Welty said the branch is not seeking new capital projects in FY26 but asked the board to continue planned refurbishments of the central courthouse (carry forward funding for the 9th floor and design for the 8th). He warned of looming capital needs: the Northwest Regional Courthouse in Surprise likely requires replacement, a Durango campus facility used for child services has significant water and structural issues, and core digital systems (jury system, case‑management conversions and the digital recording lease) will require investment in coming years.

Budget scale and prior contingency: Branch administrators told supervisors the judicial branch’s operating base is substantial (the presenters referenced roughly $200 million in core branch expenditures and noted additional state, grant and fee funds that increase the programmatic total). Welty noted that last year the board placed part of the branch’s adult‑probation request into contingency; those contingency funds were largely spent, and the branch has since requested release of additional contingency to close current FY25 gaps.

Board members asked for follow‑up materials. Supervisor Lesko asked for current vacancy data (Welty answered that adult‑probation vacancy was near 3%) and metrics for measuring effectiveness; Welty said the branch reports a roughly 70% probation completion rate and that chiefs provide a suite of performance reports on recidivism and violations. Supervisor Brophy McGee requested trend data on recidivism and asked the branch to provide time series on success rates.

What the branch asked the board to fund in FY26 (summary from presentation): - 63 adult probation officers (new ongoing positions) - Restored overtime and associated benefits for juvenile detention (needed to right‑size the detention fund) - Six courtroom assistant positions tied to commissioners reassigned to family court duties - Carry forward of central courthouse floor work already planned

The branch characterized the requests as prioritized critical needs and said they were not seeking a broader expansion of capital projects in FY26 beyond the items carried from prior years. Welty closed by thanking the board for prior investments in compensation that he said were helping recruitment and retention across the justice system.