Deschutes County juvenile detention facility faces staffing woes

Published 9:45 am Tuesday, August 8, 2023

A classroom sits empty at the Deschutes County Juvenile Detention center in 2011. 

County officials will decide this week on increased pay for employees at the Deschutes County Juvenile Detention facility, an effort to address “unprecedented” staffing challenges in one of the few such facilities serving Central and Eastern Oregon.

The facility — which houses youths accused of crimes — budgets for 19 employees but has four vacancies, officials said. This has prompted staff to cover for one another when people are on vacation or sick, forcing more people to work overtime and causing burnout among some staff.

Even the juvenile detention facility’s manager has had to cover for people by working on the facility floor, sometimes multiple days a week, pulling him away from his regular duties of training, hiring and oversight.

“My job goes to the wayside,” said Manager Robert Gilman. He has covered for others by working in the control room, supervising and performing intakes for youths admitted to the facility, he said.

Last year, the county budgeted $40,000 in overtime pay for detention center staff, also called community justice specialists. But, “we easily used that and exceeded it,” said Sonya Littledeer-Evans, deputy director of Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice.

“That hasn’t happened for several years,” said Littledeer-Evans.

Staff hard to find

In pre-pandemic years, the county might receive upwards of 60 applications any time it had a vacant position at the facility, officials say. Now, it might receive 10, Littledeer-Evans said.

“It’s just not sustainable,” Littledeer-Evans said.

The 24-hour facility is one of three on the east side of the Cascade mountains. The others are located in The Dalles and Klamath Falls. Because of this, Deschutes County has increasingly taken in kids from across the state over the years, Littledeer-Evans said.

“Deschutes County is really the only county in this area that has the resources to provide that kind of facility,” said Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels, who added: “If not us, then juvenile offenders from neighboring counties won’t be held and they pose a public safety risk to Deschutes County and our neighbors.”

What’s more, he added, youth offenders “themselves are at risk if they are left to their own devices.”

County officials attribute the staffing shortage to high regional housing prices and the inherent challenges of the job.

Center staff admit about 250 youths to the facility each year, officials said. Employees perform intake and screening when law enforcement brings youths to the facility. They operate the control rooms and run the facility’s housing unit, where youths can go to school, receive behavioral management, attend group sessions, physical education and more while waiting for court dates.

The staff must work to maintain safety at the facility. Youths stay for an average of roughly 10 days, and they might be hostile, angry or confused, officials said. Center staff must instill confidence, earn youths’ cooperation and build rapport while maintaining boundaries. They must supervise youths overnight, checking on them frequently while cleaning and getting the facility ready for the next day.

Housing, child care challenges

But some staff have struggled with shift work and have grown exhausted, forcing about nine probation officers to chip in and help, Gilman said.

“It’s one of those jobs where you just don’t have any down time,” said Gilman.

The last three people who left the facility did so in part because of challenges in finding affordable housing and child care, Littledeer-Evans said.

“It burns people out,” said Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang. “That’s my biggest concern with the staffing shortage that we’re facing.”

The county is seeking to hire community justice specialists, an entry-level position that requires two years or more of education. In addition to county benefits, they earn between $4,691.66 to $6,287.25 per month, according to an online county job posting.

The county is now in the process of finalizing an agreement to enhance extra pay for community justice specialists working the night and swing shifts. The Deschutes County Commission is scheduled to decide on the agreement during a meeting Wednesday.

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