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County approves $10,000 monitoring contract as juvenile probation officers warn of bed shortages and heavy caseloads
Summary
Chief juvenile probation officer Annalie Klein reported 708 juvenile intakes in 2025, described jail/detention bed shortages and received commission approval for a $10,000 contract with Repath to expand electronic monitoring; commissioners also discussed funding and staffing needs for probation offices.
St. Clair County commissioners approved a $10,000 contract to extend electronic monitoring for juveniles after the county’s chief juvenile probation officer described rising caseloads, detention capacity problems and unmet staffing needs.
"For the year of 2025, Juvenile Court of St. Clair County did 708 intakes," Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Annalie Klein told the commission. Klein said the county has used Repath monitoring in juvenile drug court and requested a $10,000 contract with E‑HOP Solutions to allow broader use for other juvenile offenders. "It allows us to require face recognition, check in with us multiple times throughout the day and at night. Gives us their exact location. It allows us to communicate with them one‑on‑one," she said.
Klein described limited detention capacity as a persistent issue: the nearby detention center (Gus Valley) has 47 beds overall and the county often has only a handful of beds available for local juveniles. She recounted three juveniles involved in a recent stolen‑vehicle incident who could not be detained locally for lack of space, and said one juvenile who failed to appear for court remained unlocated. "As of right now, he's receiving no kind of punishment for what he has done in our county," Klein said.
Commissioners voted to approve the $10,000 contract, with the county attorney reviewing the agreement prior to final execution. Klein also requested two full‑time administrative positions (one for the Pel City office and one for the Asheville office) to handle intake and pay‑docket work; she said Fund 106 (juvenile court fund) has an estimated balance of about $250,000 and generates roughly $70,000 a year in fees. Commissioners discussed whether the position should be a county employee or remain under state payroll (with the county reimbursing the Administrative Office of Courts), and agreed to review options and return the matter at the next work session.
Next steps: the county attorney will review the Repath contract language and staff will return with a staff‑funding recommendation for the administrative position request.
