Pretrial services warns staffing shortages at JPC could back up jail and court processing

Natalie Michaelides, executive director of Pretrial Services, briefed the court on operational strain at the Joint Processing Center (JPC) and across pretrial programs. She said the agency intentionally did not request large enhancements last year but is now asking for targeted staff to address critical shortages.

"We are down 12 case managers and 3 supervisors by the start of FY27," Michaelides said. The shortages cause bottlenecks at the JPC and occasional shifts with two staff on duty, she added, which forced supervisors to cover operations and led to backlogs of people awaiting processing or electronic monitoring placement. Michaelides described 27,000 general-order bonds processed annually and said legislative changes may be needed so pretrial resources can target people who require supervision rather than process every bond event.

The director requested funding for enhanced supervision, 24/7 coverage for electronic monitoring, shift differentials for difficult shifts, and a targeted restoration of vacancies. She warned that offsets that reduce non-labor support would cause jail population and docket delays if capacity is not maintained.