Community Taskforce created by Department of Corrections

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – Sedgwick County Department of Corrections is forming a community taskforce that will facilitate a structured community review of the incident and death of Cedric Lofton. The taskforce will review system standards, strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations for improvements.

Representatives from the following groups will be invited to be part of the taskforce:

• Wichita Branch of the NAACP
• Greater Wichita Ministerial League
• Kansas Appleseed
• Francis Ministries
• Destination Innovation (Progeny)
• Catholic Charities
• Kansas Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
• Team Justice – Sedgwick County Corrections Juvenile Advisory Board
• Juvenile Defense Counsel
• COMCARE
• Mental Health Association
• Department of Children and Families (DCF)
• Law Enforcement
• Department of Corrections
• Wichita USD 259
• Wichita Children’s Home
• Other strategic community partners

“The work of this taskforce will be painstakingly difficult. However, we want a thorough review of the circumstances and details of the Cedrick Lofton case,” says Glenda Martens, Director of the Department of Corrections.

The goal of the taskforce will be to identify any issues or concerns and to develop recommendations for system improvements and changes to standards or practices. This will include:

• a review of the policies and procedures in the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC)
• system standards from Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC)
• the physical layout of the JIAC facility

“Cedric Lofton’s death was very tragic for his family, our community and for those working in our youth corrections system. It is important that as a local public safety entity in our local government, we are accountable and transparent with our community members,” says Martens

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