Pine County juvenile placements fall; county highlights monitoring and restorative programs

PINE CITY, Minn. — Pine County officials reported a drop in juvenile placements in the last year and highlighted expanded use of electronic monitoring and restorative programs as tools to keep youths in their communities.

Terry, who oversees juvenile services, presented the board with the annual placement report on April 1. The county recorded 61 placements involving 43 different juveniles and an average placement length of 13 days. Fiscal-year spending for placements was about $206,000 on a budgeted $384,000, leaving the department under budget by roughly $174,000.

Terry said juvenile electronic monitoring remains an important tool: 16 youths used monitoring for a combined 696 days at a cost of $9,463. "If those kids would have been placed, it would have been $195,000," Terry said, emphasizing the cost savings and the program—enefit of keeping youths in their homes and schools.

The county also reported a number of diversion and restorative initiatives, including co-location of juvenile agents in schools and a restorative program that sends some juveniles to Changing Gaits (an equine-assisted learning program) as part of rehabilitation. Officials said these programs, plus truancy intervention efforts, have helped reduce longer-term placements and repeat court involvement.

Terry and other speakers credited strong collaboration among county probation, the court and community partners. The board was also told that member-county rates for secure juvenile center beds now run at about $400 per day, underscoring the fiscal advantage of alternatives such as monitoring and local programs.

The county will continue to evaluate placement trends and funding needs as it prepares its next budget.