Lancaster County courts’ diversion programs and home detention in lieu of incarceration save more than $13 million a year, according to figures presented this week by incoming President Judge Leonard Brown III.
Add in more than $7.3 million in federal and state grants secured by the court system, and that brings the total to nearly $21 million. Brown’s figures show.
Brown introduced his tabulation in brief remarks at Tuesday’s meeting on the 2025 county budget. Earlier Tuesday, the county’s judges had elected Brown to succeed current President Judge David Ashworth beginning next month. President judges serve for five years.
In many cases, the savings accrue to the county, and thus lower the burden on taxpayers. Some accrue to defendants: For example, mortgage diversion allows mortgage holders to avoid thousands of dollars in foreclosure fees.
There are other examples of savings to residents that are not included because they are too difficult to quantify, Brown noted on a one-sheet summary of the savings made available at Tuesday’s meeting.
It breaks down the savings as follows:
Home detention: In 2023, Adult Probation & Parole tracked 890 offenders using electronic monitors, totaling 89,228 person-days. Incarcerating them at County Prison would cost an average of $118 per day. Savings: $10.5 million
Diversion courts: The Pa. Association of Treatment Care Professionals estimates that treatment courts save $6,208 per participant. Applying that in Lancaster County:
- Drug Court (109 participants): $676,672
- Mental Health Court (55 participants): $314,440
- Veterans Court (34 participants): $211,072
- Total savings: $1.2 million
Mortgage diversion: 221 cases, saving an average of $7,879 per case. Savings: $1.74 million
- Grants:
- Federal grants: $100,000
- State grants: $1.13 million
- Treatment court grants: $28,500
- Domestic Relations Office (DRO) incentive payments: $717,500
- DRO direct payments: $5,350,404
- TOTAL: $7.33 million
GRAND TOTAL: $20.77 million
By comparison, the county’s proposed 2025 budget provides a little over $36 million for judicial operations, which include county and magisterial district courts, juvenile probation and adult probation; and $42.3 million for corrections — the County Prison.
Together, the two allocations make up 42% of the budget’s $186 million in general fund expenses.
The County Prison’s 2025 budget is up 30% over the current-year figure of $32.5 million. The increase is driven mainly by higher staff compensation costs (up $2.9 million) and “other contractual services,” specifically inmate health insurance (up $3.9 million).
