The state Judicial Branch, faced with a $77 million budget reduction for the upcoming fiscal year, has laid off 239 people and is planning courthouse closures and consolidations to balance its budget.

The hardest hit group of branch employees, in terms of numbers, is judicial marshals, who maintain courthouse security and process prisoners. Fifty-three marshals, including five from New London County courthouses, received notices within the past week that they would be unemployed as of June 23, which ends the last pay period of the current fiscal year.

A class of 43 marshal trainees was laid off before being assigned to courthouses, and the branch eliminated the jobs of 23 judicial security officers who worked at offices outside of courthouses.

Joseph Gaetano, president of Local 731 of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the union to which the marshals belong, said the courthouses already were short-staffed before the layoffs began and that “not having the proper amount of marshals is going to jeopardize the safety of everyone.”

In recent months, because of staffing shortages, one marshal rather than two have been manning metal detectors at many courthouse entrances and marshals are not assigned to cover most civil court proceedings.

“The lines are going to get longer,” Gaetano predicted. “The docket’s going to get longer. If something were to erupt, it’s going to take time to respond. It’s actually a very sad day when Judicial looks to save money first by jeopardizing the courts.”

The marshal service had 700 employees before the layoffs began, and the recommended staffing was 900, Gaetano said, adding that in his opinion, the department is top-heavy with managers. Locally, two marshals at the Huntington Street courthouse in New London received layoff notices, two at the juvenile court in Waterford and one at the Norwich courthouse.

Elsewhere in the branch, layoff notices have been issued to 10 case-flow coordinators, one clinical coordinator, seven family relations counselors, 22 adult probation officers, 15 juvenile probation officers and five intake, assessment and referral specialists from the bail commissioner’s office. Eight of those employees worked in the New London Judicial District.

Based on union contracts, the least senior employees within their job classifications have been laid off, and some locations may be disproportionately affected, according to Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, program manager of communications.

“In response, the Branch over the coming weeks will exercise its right under the contracts to transfer staff to locations that need additional coverage,” Stearley-Hebert wrote in an email.

Thomas A. Siconolfi, executive director of administrative services for the Judicial Branch, said the budget for the 2017 fiscal year has been reduced from $577 million to $499 million. The reductions include $35 million in personal services, which includes employee salaries and benefits; $13 million in contracts and “pass through” expenses; and $6.8 million in other expenses.

The branch is still struggling to make additional major cuts to its bottom line.

“There’s a $22.5 million unallocated lapse that we get to say where it comes from,” Siconolfi said. “That’s why we’re seeing layoffs and court closings and all sorts of other reductions.”

While courthouse closures and consolidations are anticipated, Stearley-Hebert said no decisions have been made, and the branch is not commenting on specific locations.