Codington County State’s Attorney Alison Trauba Outlines Jail Population, Juvenile Diversion Success and 2027 Budget Request in Watertown

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - State’s Attorney Alison Bakken provided an update on the county’s legal and correctional landscape before presenting her 2027 budget request during the August 4, 2026, County Commission meeting.

Bakken began her report by clarifying a personal update: her last name has officially changed from Bakken to Trauba on her law license, so public records and dockets will reflect the new name moving forward.

Jail Population and Public Defender Costs 

Trauba provided a detailed breakdown of the 64 inmates currently housed in the Codington County Detention Center. The population includes 33 pre-trial inmates, 14 serving jail sentences, six sentenced to the state penitentiary and awaiting beds, and two facing competency or insanity issues.

She also addressed rising public defender fees, attributing them to increasing crime rates and systemic pressures.

“There’s a push from DOC, the Department of Corrections, on the unified judicial system. Don’t send people to the penitentiary. We don’t have beds for them. We don’t have money for them,” Bakken explained. “There’s a push from law enforcement and state’s attorneys to send people to the pen, and they keep reoffending.”

Trauba emphasized that paying for a strong defense on the front end prevents the county from facing costly habeas corpus appeals later on.

Juvenile Diversion Program Sees 91% Success Rate 

In positive news, Trauba reported that the county’s juvenile diversion program continues to thrive. Out of 244 recent referrals, 236 were successful, representing a 91% success rate.

The state reimburses the county approximately $750 per successful diversion, meaning the county is expecting a check for roughly $177,000 this fall. These funds will act as a pass-through in the budget and be allocated to the Boys and Girls Club to fund two positions that operate the diversion programs.

2027 Budget Highlights 

Looking ahead to 2027, Bakken informed the board that she is requesting funds to hire an additional full-time attorney.

“My case numbers are commensurate with Brown County. Brown County currently has five attorneys. I currently have myself and two deputies,” Trauba said.

The request is also tied to a succession plan, as one of her current deputies plans to enter partial retirement this spring at age 65. Trauba noted she does not expect a new attorney to start immediately on January 1, 2027, which will offset some of the initial budget impact. Her budget also accounts for a standard 3% cost-of-living raise and anticipated increases in toxicology screening costs.

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