Probation officials report staffing shortages and high juvenile-detention overage costs

Juvenile-services staff told commissioners the department is short-staffed, that probation officers are carrying high caseloads, and that the county relies on a four-bed contract with Yamhill County for detention capacity.

"We contract with Yamhill County for 4 beds. If we go over those 4 beds, we're charged an overage," the juvenile-services official said, adding: "I can tell you on average, I sign a bill for about $26,000 a month for those."

Staff said they have moved to condition-based supervision and are prioritizing public-safety cases and housing-related problems that generate community phone calls. The department is recruiting for vacant positions and has posted multiple times without sufficient applicants.

Commission members and partners discussed the fiscal pressure of expensive out-of-county detention placements and the operational strain of reduced staffing; no new budget action was taken during the meeting.

The department asked the commission for continued support in recruitment and to consider staffing impacts during upcoming budget deliberations.