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Board hears why juvenile custody bed‑day rates and placement choices are pushing costs up
Summary
Probation staff explained large variation in contracted juvenile bed‑day rates across counties and said placement availability and specialized program costs (e.g., ranch programs) drive higher expenses, supporting a $360,000 custody budget ask.
Probation staff told the board that custody contract costs vary substantially among counties and programs, and that placement availability and specialized program add‑ons increase per‑day charges.
Chief Raymond explained different counties calculate bed‑day rates in varied ways and some charge extra for program services. He cited examples such as a Shasta ranch program costing roughly $456 per day for a specialty program or higher rates for secure youth treatment facility (SYTF) placements. Staff said Humboldt is first in line because of proximity and relative affordability, Mendocino second, and that shortage of beds sometimes forces placements into higher‑cost counties such as Sonoma or Shasta. The chief said average length of stay can be long — staff cited an average of 164 days for youth in Shasta over fiscal year 2024–25 — and that a combination of rate increases, elevated average daily population and case-processing delays drove the department to budget $360,000 for custody contracts this year.
Supervisors asked whether closing the local juvenile hall was the right choice; staff said the hall closed due to staffing shortages and regulatory compliance risks, and that contracting for placements allowed the county to continue meeting law‑enforcement needs without risking state enforcement actions.
