The district attoreny hopes to see the number of adult offenders drop in time with a speedier judicial system.
AUBURN – The Androscoggin County Commission approved emergency funding for the juvenile prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office Wednesday, but only if the Budget Committee authorizes the expenditure.
District Attorney Norm Croteau requested assistance from the county to meet the local cash match for a federal grant that pays for the juvenile prosecutor, a state position. He said the local match was funded last year by state forfeiture money administered through the Maine Attorney General’s Office. That source of funding is not available this year.
County Treasurer Robert Poulin said he will request a special meeting of the Budget Committee. He said the commission does not have the final authority to spend county funds for a state position.
“I know there is controversy about the county funding a state position,” Croteau said, adding that he is a state employee and county funds have supported his office. “This person is working for Androscoggin County.”
The district attorney said he has no alternative but to come to the commission at this time. He said he has spoken to members of the Legislature about the possibility of emergency state funding.
Croteau said he will continue to seek funding sources other than county sources.
The position of juvenile prosecutor was created about two years ago. That assistant district attorney assumed the position in October 2001. “Before she was hired, the average amount of time from being arrested to going to court for a juvenile offender charged with burglary was 227 days. Now it’s 43 days,” Croteau said. “What it means is with juveniles – if you say to me six months, I’m at the half century mark, so that six months doesn’t mean much, but if I was 13 or 14 years old, that six months is a big chunk of my life.”
Croteau said he is beginning to see a reduction in the numbers of juvenile offenders. He added that he hopes it is the beginning of a trend toward an eventual drop in the numbers of adult arrests and a future reduction in the jail population. “So, seven, eight, 10 years from now, hopefully the number of adult offenders coming into the system will drop.”
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