St. Clair County approves juvenile probation software funding and authorizes site search, design for possible youth detention facility

The St. Clair County Commission on Jan. 13 approved a $10,000-per-year appropriation to fund an eHawk software contract for the Juvenile Probation Office and authorized initial steps toward a potential juvenile detention facility.

Anna Leigh Cline, the county's chief juvenile probation officer, asked the commission for the appropriation to pay for eHawk, software used to track and communicate with juveniles. Chairman Stanley D. Batemon recommended approval; Commissioner Bob Mize moved to approve the appropriation pending county attorney review and Commissioner Joey Stevens seconded. The motion passed with all voting aye.

Cline also requested a full-time secretary for the Juvenile Probation Office; the commission recorded that the staffing request will be discussed at the Jan. 22, 2026_WORK_SESSION.

Separately, the commission voted to authorize Commissioner Jeff Brown to search for a location to construct a potential juvenile detention facility and to authorize Commissioner Joey Stevens to engage an architect or architects to design the facility. Both authorizations were approved by unanimous vote and were recorded as distinct, formal directions to proceed with site identification and preliminary design work.

What the actions mean: the eHawk appropriation covers the juvenile office's software needs for tracking and communications; the site search and design authorizations start a multi-step process that would require later funding decisions, design approvals and, if pursued, construction appropriation. The commission did not adopt a construction budget or select a site at this meeting.

Next steps: the juvenile detention staffing request will be discussed at the Jan. 22 work session; the search and design authorizations delegate initial work to commissioners and staff, who will return with proposals, locations or designs for future action.