NCJ Number
78991
Date Published
1978
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This internal audit report concerning the Justice Services Department of Multnomah County, Oreg., examines the overall growth trends in budgeted dollars, personnel, and corresponding workload statistics for all components of justice services for the period 1968-79.
Abstract
The report notes that while the population in Multnomah County has remained relatively stable over the 12-year period, the cost per resident for the county's Department of Justice Services has almost quadrupled. Budgeted expenditures per county resident grew from $12 per person in 1968 to $47 in 1979, with inflation accounting for about half of the total growth. A total of 1,028 staff positions are budgeted for 1978-79 in the department and the budget is $26.1 million, which represents 16 percent of the total county expenditures. For the 12-year period, the number of personnel in the district attorney's office has tripled and corrections personnel have almost tripled. The number of reported crimes in the county has almost doubled, while civil matters filed in circuit district court have also increased. The report concludes that management information in the department is fragmented, caseload statistics are not always available from year to year, and statistics in one division are not tied to those maintained by other divisions. Factors identified that account for budgets increasing faster than inflation include substantial salary improvements, increased availability of Federal grant funds, and the increased costs that have accompanied the growing concern for the legal rights of the accused, convicted, and mentally incompetent. The report recommends that a uniform justice services management information system in Multnomah County be pursued and that cost accounting capacity in planning be included for new county budgeting systems. Graphs and tabular data are provided. (Author abstract modified)