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Probation director highlights $244,250 restorative justice grant and reduced new entries
Summary
Probation director reported Pine County received a $244,250 youth restorative-justice grant (including $29,000 restitution) starting Aug. 1 and presented data showing a 20% decrease in new offender entries and strong outcomes from YETI truancy and restorative programs.
Probation Director Terry Faucet told the board Pine County was awarded $244,250 from the Office of Restorative Practices for a youth restorative justice grant that starts Aug. 1 and runs 18 months; the grant includes approximately $29,000 for restitution. Faucet said the county requested the full amounts it sought and was awarded the full request.
Faucet reviewed caseload data: 396 new offender entries in the latest snapshot (a roughly 20% decrease), with 257 DWIs, 169 drug offenses and 142 assault cases driving much of the department's workload. He emphasized that the snapshot excludes pretrial supervision, truancy interventions, and restorative-justice cases, which add significant staff time.
He highlighted the YETI (youth early truancy intervention) program, noting Pine City referrals rose and that 86% of participants showed improved attendance and avoided formal truancy court. Faucet said electronic monitoring has saved placement costs (he cited $134,000 in avoided placement costs in a recent period and an estimated $2 million total since inception). He also noted projected reductions in revenue from corrections fees as the legislature phases out those fees toward 2029 and said the department will need to plan for those changes.
