Benton County Community Corrections Parole and Probation Division – History

To address the concern over the possibility of prison overcrowding, the Oregon Legislature enacted the Community Corrections Act in 1977, encouraging counties to assume administrative control of local corrections programs in an effort to divert low-level "Class C" felons from the state prison system.

In 1978, Benton County entered the Community Corrections Act as an Option III participant. Under this option, control of all corrections programs, other than the jail, was turned over to the Oregon Department of Corrections which provided basic probation, parole, and presentence investigation services. Benton County obtained a federal LEAA grant which led to the creation of a county-run misdemeanant probation office.

In 1979, Benton County changed to Option II. The existing misdemeanant program was enlarged and a volunteer coordinator was added. Additional funds were transferred to Benton County Mental Health to provide enhanced mental health services to corrections clients. The Department of Corrections continued to handle felony parolees, probationers, and presentence investigations. There were two separate staffs, two separate offices, and two separate administrations - one run by the state and the other run by the county. In 1981, a CCA-funded Corrections Facility Program Coordinator position was created.

In September 1984, Benton County converted to Option I. All adult corrections programs came under the control of the Board of Commissioners who delegated it to the Sheriff. The former state and misdemeanant offices were closed, and their staffs were combined to form the new Benton County Community Corrections Office, located in the Benton County Public Services Building at 530 NW 27th Street.