Strafford County subcommittee approves 2026 criminal justice budgets after debate on federal detainee revenue and new victim-notification technology

The Strafford County Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted unanimously 5–0 on Jan. 28 to approve its recommended 2026 budgets for the Department of Corrections, Jail Industries, the HOC laundry, the County Attorney's Office and Child Advocacy Center, the Sheriff's Office and dispatch center, and community corrections programs.

The meeting in Dover focused on line-item changes and program needs. Chris Bracken, superintendent of the Strafford County Department of Corrections, told members the department's overall expenditures fall by about $800,000 in the proposed budget, with a $234,000 reduction in overtime driven by better recruitment and a revised supervisory "float" model that reduced reliance on overtime while leaving front-line services intact. Bracken said food costs rose because of higher prices and that a one-time outlier medical case contributed to higher medical spending in the prior year; medical costs are projected to decline in 2026.

Bracken described two ancillary programs: HOC laundry, budgeted at roughly $42,500 to serve inmates and outside customers, and Jail Industries, which had a $14,000 increase tied to an anticipated expansion of contracted work. He said the…