Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Justice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners discuss rehiring approved juvenile probation officer and 72-hour detention plans
Summary
At a St. Clair County work session, commissioners heard that the state approved billing for juvenile probation services and has cleared a former county probation officer, Bonnie Smith, to return; the board discussed funding sources, contract billing, and plans to expand 72-hour juvenile detention capacity and staffing.
Chair opened the discussion on juvenile-court staffing and asked county juvenile staff to summarize recent approvals. A juvenile probation officer told the commission that the state had approved quarterly billing to the county and that "they've already approved, miss Bonnie Smith, to come back to us" if the commission chooses to move forward with hiring (speaker 6).
Commissioners and staff debated how to handle invoices and which account should pay for the service. A county finance staffer said juvenile-court services are typically reimbursed from grants and state fees, and the juvenile staff described that the juvenile court services fund receives money from grants, state court fees and supervision fees.
The commission discussed operational implications beyond hiring: whether probation staff offices should remain in the traditional courthouse or be colocated with a detention facility, and the preliminary capacity plan for short-term detention. Commissioners described a near-term operating target of about eight 72-hour beds with one full-time and additional part-time staff; the chair and juvenile staff noted planning for growth to roughly 10 beds and two full-time staff within five years if neighboring counties contract for service.
Commissioners asked staff to place the rehiring and any associated budget or contract language on the agenda for Tuesday so the board could take formal action. The work session record shows commissioners asked for clarification of billing flow and for any needed budget amendments before voting.
