Key Initiatives 2009 & 2010

• To reduce recidivism and promote public safety, assigned staff at each program is responsible to implement and refine an approved plan of evidence-based strategies geared to increase client success.

• To assertively seek funding and programmatic opportunities at all levels to enable our clients to succeed in being more productive citizens. The state-mandated juvenile justice graduated sanctions grant that funds intake, intensive supervision and case management is the most critical target area for advocacy at this time.

• To successfully implement the new SB-14 Risk Reduction Initiative grant program of evidence based strategies to reduce probation revocations in Community Corrections 20% by 2010.

• To improve management of adjudicated youth who have committed sex offenses, a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who work with these youth has been established and a federal grant has been obtained to implement and refine strategies to improve services and enhance public safety through 2009.

• To participate as a pilot site with the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority in a federally-funded re-entry grant project titled Project S.T.A.R. (Success Through Achieving Reintegration). The mission is to implement proven practices to reduce recidivism of juveniles transitioning from correctional facilities to the community by 2011.

• To work with the MacArthur Foundation Models for Change, DMC Action Network, and state and local partners to study, design and implement strategies to address the overrepresentation of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

• To implement Performance Based Standards at Judge Riddel Boys Ranch and participate in a statewide project with other residential service providers and the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority to benchmark service delivery and quality standards.

• To maintain and promote respectful and inclusive workplaces, all staff will complete ongoing diversity training and continue using the established M.E.E.T. model to help recognize, respond to, and resolve day-to-day workplace situations.

• To continue to participate fully in the planning, implementation, operation and/or monitoring of any county-approved programs from the Criminal Justice Alternatives Master Plan to reduce demand for adult detention services.
  

2009 Progress Update On Key Initiatives

• To reduce recidivism and promote public safety, assigned staff at each program is responsible to implement and refine an approved plan of evidence-based strategies geared to increase client success.

• Progress: Implementation and refinement of evidence based strategies is underway in every program. Results vary widely between programs given their stages of development and client populations. Early results clearly demonstrate that more adults and juveniles are experiencing success with the new strategies. In order to change community supervision services for juvenile offenders, new office space with classrooms for cognitive skills groups were secured and staff relocated in August 2009.

• To assertively seek funding and programmatic opportunities at all levels to enable our clients to succeed in being more productive citizens. The current economy and state budget crisis poses significant challenges and reduced funding for offender programs and services. We will demonstrate leadership through this crisis to provide policy-makers with accurate information and recommendations that promote public safety and long-term fiscal responsibility.

• Progress: Accomplished on July 1, 2008 in both adult and juvenile community corrections with significant infusion of approximately $1M in each area to implement evidence-based practices. Unfortunately, the recession and high rate of unemployment has resulted in many hardships for our clients, staff and many services have been cut due to budget. Significant progress has been made changing the philosophy and practices in our work with clients.

• To successfully implement the new SB-14 Risk Reduction Initiative grant program of evidence-based strategies to reduce probation revocations in Community Corrections 20% by 2010.

• Progress: Accomplished in SFY 2008 (29% reduction) but not in SFY 2009 (15.6% reduction). The program experienced substantial growth in clients due to fewer revocations and increased admissions. While this was occurring, funding was reduced, staffing and services were cut, caseloads got far too high and client unemployment and underemployment reached an all time high. During the fall 2009 evaluation data was used with our Advisory Board to refine and target the intensive strategies to a smaller group and reduce supervision and services to lower risk clients.

• To improve management of adjudicated youth who have committed sex offenses, a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who work with these youth has been established and a federal grant has been obtained to implement and refine strategies to improve services and enhance public safety through 2009.

• Progress: Accomplished.

• To participate as a pilot site with the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority in a federally-funded re-entry grant project titled Project S.T.A.R. (Success Through Achieving Reintegration). The mission is to implement proven practices to reduce recidivism of juveniles transitioning from correctional facilities to the community by 2011.

• Progress: Work is underway and ongoing. The SCYP residential program was selected to be the community residential facility for Project S.T.A.R. Staff has engaged in very significant training provided by JJA on evidence-based practices and has implemented new programming with clients at Juvenile Field Services and SCYP.

• To work with the MacArthur Foundation Models for Change, DMC Action Network, and state and local partners to study, design and implement strategies to address the overrepresentation of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

• Progress: Work is underway and ongoing on community engagement and graduated sanctions to reduce overrepresentation of minorities in arrests and probation violations. Detailed DMC reports are available on the department website.

• To implement Performance Based Standards at Judge Riddel Boys Ranch in order to refine operations and improve results. Continue to participate in a statewide project with other residential service providers and the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority to benchmark service delivery and quality standards.

• Progress: Accomplished and ongoing.

• To continue to participate fully in the planning, implementation, operation and/or monitoring of any county-approved programs from the Criminal Justice Alternatives Master Plan to reduce demand for adult detention services.

• Progress: A new Adult Felony Drug Court program was approved by the BOCC and assigned to the department to administer, develop and implement from the ground up. The program began accepting referrals late in 2008, acquired permanent office space and began full operation in June 2009. Planning was also completed to expand Pretrial Services to serve more clients from the Municipal Courts. Changes were implemented in August 2009 and have resulted in a dramatic increase in the average daily population (194 to 248 comparing the last quarters of 2008 and 2009).

• To maintain and promote respectful and inclusive workplaces, all staff will complete ongoing diversity training and continue using the established M.E.E.T. model to help recognize, respond to, and resolve day-to-day workplace situations.

• Progress: Accomplished and ongoing.