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Kent County prosecuting attorney outlines rising juvenile caseloads, diversion efforts and resentencings
Summary
Prosecutor Chris Becker told the board that juvenile petitions and certain resentencings have increased, the county detention center has 98 beds, and the office is expanding diversion and treatment courts while facing higher appeals and resentencing workloads.
Chris Becker, Kent County prosecuting attorney, delivered his annual report to the Kent County Board of Commissioners, describing steep increases in juvenile petitions, limits on detention capacity, and steps his office is taking to prioritize community-based treatment and targeted resentencings.
Becker told commissioners that the juvenile system is designed to be rehabilitative: “The whole idea of a a juvenile system is rehabilitative, and I fully support that,” and warned that the county cannot simply convert every juvenile case into adult prosecutions under Michigan law. He said the county’s juvenile detention center holds 98 beds and contrasted that with a peak of roughly 1,200 juvenile petitions in recent years, noting, “The math doesn't work” for simply incarcerating more youth.
Becker outlined programs his office is using or expanding to respond to the caseload: juvenile treatment courts, restorative-justice efforts, and a pilot rapid reunification project intended to shorten separations between children and families from roughly 18 months to as little as six months with intensive services. He said some programs are narrow in capacity — “about 13 to 20 that they can take into the juvenile treatment court” — and that family-focused services are critical for long-term results.
On resentencings tied to Michigan Supreme Court decisions, Becker described the workload and evidentiary burden for challenging a life-without-parole sentence: review of decades-old records, Department of Corrections files and psychological evaluations. He said the office has seen an increase in set-aside petitions after recent law changes, from the hundreds to over 1,100 in 2025, creating additional appellate and post-conviction workload.
Becker also reported successes in the child support division, which he said is meeting federal guidance (noting performance above federal thresholds) and emphasized outreach efforts to help custodial parents obtain support and enforcement.
During a commissioner question-and-answer period, Board members asked for details about set-aside/expungement processes, resentencing procedures, and whether evaluations of treatment courts would be conducted. Becker said an evaluation contract for the domestic-violence treatment court is planned and reiterated that resentencing proceedings are typically mini-trials focused on sentencing facts rather than guilt or innocence.
Becker closed by thanking staff and community partners and inviting commissioners to continue supporting programs that divert eligible young people from the adult system while protecting victims and public safety. The board received the report and discussed follow-up questions but did not take further formal action at the meeting.
