COEUR d'ALENE - The Kootenai County commissioners have cut another 10 staff positions across several departments, including the full elimination of Adult Pre-Trial Services.

The annual savings from the reductions will be $429,554.

"Considering the economic times we're in, the commissioners are looking at all services, all costs, and just weighing them and sometimes making difficult decisions," said Commissioner Jai Nelson.

All the cuts, spanning Adult Misdemeanor Probation, Juvenile Probation, Building and Grounds and Solid Waste, have already occurred.

Pre-Trial Services was deemed an unsuccessful program, Nelson said, after careful review and input from judges, the county prosecutor and sheriff's department.

"The consensus was, it was not cost effective," she said.

PTS was intended to reduce jail overcrowding by identifying inmates suitable for early releases on bail, or of their own recognizance. It was established in 2005 with a grant, and then picked up by the county when the grant ended.

But a recent study revealed the services were not effective, Nelson said.

According to a May analysis by jail and custody officials, jail stay was not reduced after the adoption of the program.

"Statistics show that inmates assigned to PTS who do not make bail following first appearance spend 20 percent more days in jail than the average inmate," the study says.

The document also reports there has been no noticeable reduction in inmate numbers.

It further states that a significant amount of staff time was committed to the program, between compiling lists of inmates, screening inmates to determine eligibility, providing security for PTS staff and more.

"The amount of time spent by the jail's staff each morning assisting PTS has become burdensome," the document reads.

The choice was clear, Nelson said.

"The effect of pre-trial fell short of the intended results," she said.

Dave McCullough, probation officer supervisor, said PTS will be missed at Adult Misdemeanor Probation. He acknowledged the program wasn't impacting inmate numbers.

"I wouldn't disagree with that," he said.

But it did manifest into something different, he said.

"It was addressing pre-trial crime, if you will," he said. "Those who are awaiting trial, what do you do with them between the allegation of a crime and when they're adjudicated or sentenced? As it went, we were monitoring all of these cases."

PTS had three positions, whose salaries and benefits cost $128,000 a year.

Other cuts the commissioners have implemented include the elimination of one full-time probation officer at Juvenile Probation, due to manageable caseload and low recidivism rate with juveniles. A dozen officers remain.

Three positions were eliminated from Building and Grounds.

The Solid Waste Department will manage after slashing two managerial positions, said Director Roger Saterfiel, and consolidating additional positions.

"Now that we have two facilities, the Ramsey and Prairie stations, it's split up our customer use," Saterfiel said. "So we're not operating at a crisis mode at Ramsey anymore."

The reorganization has required employees to take on additional responsibilities, though. Five individuals have been given raises of $1.40 an hour for the extra burden, Saterfiel said.

"It did increase their work load tremendously," he said, adding the change happened about a month ago. "I felt they could handle it, and it's worth a try."

The county commissioners also reduced 10 positions across various departments in April, which achieved annual savings of $415,000 a year.

This won't be the last of trims to staff, Nelson said.

"It is my intention we will have other departments reorganized and perhaps consolidated," she said. "It's an ongoing review of staffing and costs.