Juvenile department reports rise in diversions, expanded services funded by grants

Crook CountyJuvenile Department told commissioners on Jan. 14 that the office has increased diversion of youth away from formal court processes and expanded programs intended to keep young people in their communities.

"My goal was 60%, and we were able to be at 82%," the juvenile department presenter said, summarizing the year's outcome on referrals kept out of the court system. The presenter said those figures represent 73 individual youths: 23 felony cases, about 27 class-A misdemeanors and 16 noncriminal referrals, and noted that counts treat each youth by their most serious offense.

The department credited new programming and partnerships for the shift. Officials said they used leftover grant funds to purchase the R1 curriculum and are aligning that curriculum with detention and residential programs so youth encounter consistent programming across settings. A restitution program funded by grant dollars allows youth to perform community service and have victims paid; the presenter said the grant funds cover youth at "minimum wage" for that work.

Presenters described other supports now in place: in‑office substance‑use life‑skills groups run twice weekly by a community partner, anger-management groups run by an intern from M3 Alliance, monthly "best care" coordination meetings with community partners, and referrals to walk‑in mental‑health assessment centers to speed access to appropriate services.

Looking ahead, the juvenile office plans to implement regular R1 groups in its office before June 30 and to add a transport vehicle to support daily casework and appointments. The presenter cautioned that placements and outside residential beds remain limited and costly, and that lack of available placements can extend detention stays.

The juvenile presenter also said the county completed automatic expunctions for roughly 62 youths under recent state changes, and that the county now receives about $300 per automatic expunction to cover processing time; fees to file expunctions by individuals were described as lower but not specified exactly.

Commissioners asked for clarifying figures and confirmation that the R1 curriculum purchase is reusable; the presenter said the curriculum can be used in future years and that the restitution and ankle-monitoring components have so far been grant-funded but could be proposed for general-fund support if grants end.

The department did not propose new ordinances or formal actions at the meeting. Commissioners recessed for a brief technical break and then continued with other department presentations.