[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6461267,"mediaKeyId","5824606-02f4374f43aa39ea453517973202255e","parentId",5824606,"title","Sedgwick County officials say KDOC funding formula would cut community corrections grant by about $2.1 million; commissioners plan appeal","audioSeconds",2161,"startMs",3187000,"endMs",5348000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824606-02f4374f43aa39ea453517973202255e&start=3187&end=5348","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824606-02f4374f43aa39ea453517973202255e/thumbnail_3187000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6461267/Sedgwick-County/Kansas/Sedgwick-County-officials-say-KDOC-funding-formula-would-cut-community-corrections-grant-by-about-21-million-commissioners-plan-appeal","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461267-851514907634237ed0e634d071fa400a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773714434&Signature=aHn7Kdp2xMZCp~zrTyeacWaHBN9eqnQ--zR6yM~PacPDdcF0nmrxxa7el4uOoN6LRAFBf6DTCd2-r9jVbgDD5Czh9oXCLy~X7EigdpBS-y4OpY1HsTDcK2e85Dp2diMFJw-UuGRpUzaqrRGAC0rZLh-zw7SW-y99hM54JVVimMyHKajATB3c-PZ3~DJxeXJ1J10Quly~gP2xjtL6lGPT8pRHc5tX5ed-WuJpXrflpX7mQ1LEjOE6kGdguRmCOz4dhp~TB1DjD45tu~2pw0e7zEDfHQhDU8cnZQbz9pl0HW83cfM5tuVh01x47hPJGvLfKH0u7IPVGZOtVHNbJfA9ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sedgwick County, KS","date","2025-09-24T13:29:45.713Z","article","Sedgwick County commissioners and corrections officials told the county’s staff meeting that a newly applied Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) funding formula would reduce the county’s adult community corrections grant by about 37 percent — roughly $2.1 million — and sharply cut behavioral-health grant money the county has used to pay for programs and staff.

The cuts, described by KDOC as a reallocation of existing grant dollars rather than a reduction in the statewide pot, would hit Sedgwick County despite the county’s larger caseload and local funding for correctional services. County leaders directed staff to draft a letter to KDOC and state legislative leaders and to plan public outreach to press for reconsideration or a legislative fix.

Why it matters: County officials say the proposed reductions would force cuts to evidence-based programs, reduce staff who coach and supervise high‑risk clients, increase caseloads for remaining workers and could eliminate residential and behavioral‑health services that county leaders say have lowered recidivism. Steve Stonehouse, a Sedgwick County Department of Corrections official, told commissioners the county’s current mix of programs and local funding make the proposed reduction especially harmful.

What county officials said: Stonehouse said KDOC combined three funding streams — DUI funds, a block grant, and behavioral‑health funding — and applied a new allocation formula created by a statutorily appointed Community Corrections Advisory Committee. The committee’s formula weights factors including population counts, program success rates, jurisdiction square mileage, filing counts and local KBI crime data. \"I've been very transparent with KDOC ... this does not smell right,\" Stonehouse said, later noting Sedgwick County had pressed for changes but was told the formula would proceed.

Sedgwick County’s finances and scale: Stonehouse told the commission the annual KDOC block grant for community corrections is about $5 million. County finance staff and commissioners said Sedgwick County contributes roughly $6 million in local funds to match and support those state programs; a portion of those local dollars currently support services for nonresidents supervised here. Stonehouse said the behavioral‑health portion of grant funding — roughly $600,000 this year — would be cut by roughly half under the new allocation.

Projected impacts: County staff warned the cuts would likely require eliminating specialized programs (for example, batterers intervention groups, support for medications and housing assistance tied to supervision), reduce residential alternatives that keep people out of jail, and shrink the number of supervisors and coaches who back up front‑line officers. Laurie Gibbs, deputy director of adult programs, described how the county’s continuous quality improvement team and newly developed internal training shortened staff onboarding and improved skill fidelity; commissioners said losing those staff or programs would worsen outcomes.

How the formula was developed: Stonehouse said the advisory committee that drafted the allocation includes directors from several smaller judicial districts; KDOC used a staff member from Johnson County to compile and test the formula on the existing grant total. Commissioners objected that Sedgwick — the state’s largest single provider by point‑in‑time caseload — was not represented and would bear a disproportionate cut while several committee members saw funding increases.

County response: Commissioners instructed staff to draft an immediate, public letter to the KDOC secretary, the governor’s office and state legislative leaders asking for review and relief. Commissioners discussed a Friday public briefing and press conference to raise awareness and asked staff to prepare a white paper and a formal letter for the board’s review. Justin Wagoner, county counselor, advised that statutory changes would require legislative action and that the legislature could alter who ultimately sets allocation rules.

What county officials asked for: Commissioners suggested possible remedies including (1) a hold‑harmless phase‑in to avoid abrupt program cuts, (2) a neutral third party (for example, a university) to review and recommend a transparent, evidence‑based formula, or (3) a state appropriation to increase the total pool so no county loses programs in a zero‑sum reallocation.

Next steps: Staff were directed to draft the letter and supporting white paper, assemble detailed budget impacts, and coordinate outreach to the South Central legislative delegation. No formal vote was taken; the board asked that the draft return for final review and that staff schedule public outreach promptly.

Ending: County officials said the funding decision has implications for public safety, program continuity and local tax dollars already invested in community corrections, and they signaled an urgent outreach effort to the governor’s office and the legislature to seek a remedy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners Staff Meeting - 9/23/2025","oneSentenceSummary","County corrections leaders told commissioners a new Kansas Department of Corrections formula would reduce Sedgwick County’s community corrections grant by roughly 37% (~$2.1 million), with commissioners directing staff to seek state and legislative review and to brief the public.","taxTitle","Sedgwick County, Kansas","taxId",2883,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6461262,"Sedgwick County presents adult, juvenile comprehensive corrections plans; officials cite training gains but say KDOC success metric remains unmet",2107,189000,2296000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824606-02f4374f43aa39ea453517973202255e&start=189&end=2296","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824606-02f4374f43aa39ea453517973202255e/thumbnail_189000.jpg","/articles/6461262/Sedgwick-County/Kansas/Sedgwick-County-presents-adult-juvenile-comprehensive-corrections-plans-officials-cite-training-gains-but-say-KDOC-success-metric-remains-unmet","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461262-1bb2dbad9873de8ba69a235ca9f84468/orig.mp4?Expires=1773714434&Signature=Ax0KTE5MR49eXGq8X0nYzNQMpCYCVHs5-MJbhWcgRHSMSoiqS0-lf332~nIL8U5LOWh-M04xvQ2povCJIaYDhIjx4npIh2Iq~4lB6jteYDXSG6PaRp1QoP0fBgMaHhmUSgdMTeFDNyiY-ARt8z2xEpgD~xxp-Nze6iqynDsX6quCMbZTnbwuzx5e9kzW498PHw1VY0JFO2AGdtVXyxXJcyxSHzh~SkGKMfrRoeiZaJO2k5hA1bz5vMeannbUEfzb4KpOKurEdNll2D8z7ryNxNv4p9uamsGdlTuhO~sOPwQEfXjZI~r4-2VAIMpQYSH4BDZbLO9JzABTgcaflQ6xyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sedgwick County corrections officials presented their annual adult and juvenile comprehensive plan outcomes, telling the commission they have adopted new evidence‑based tools and internal coaching to improve supervision, but that the state’s 75 percent “successful completion” target has remained out of reach for adult community corrections.

Deputy director Laurie Gibbs summarized adult program work: staff developed a continuous quality improvement (CQI) team, improved interrater reliability on assessment tools, and replaced a longstanding curriculum with a new cognitive‑skills series called Courage for Change. Gibbs said the department also trained supervisors as adjunct coaches to shorten KDOC training timelines and has shifted performance goals to emphasize qualitative, behavior‑change work over box‑checking.

Gibbs said two primary adult goals are to target clients who score high on evidence‑based risk domains (for example, antisocial associates, antisocial attitudes, use of leisure time and antisocial personality patterns) and to place those clients into programs matched to those needs. She told the commission that state fiscal year results did not meet KDOC’s 75 percent successful‑completion mandate or the required 3 percent year‑over‑year improvement; the county’s early FY26 monthly rate was 66 percent overall, with August reported above 75 percent.

Mario Salinas, deputy director for juvenile programs, reviewed juvenile intake and treatment outcomes. He said the juvenile intake and assessment center averaged about 145 intakes per month in SFY25; roughly 75 percent of youth were released to the community and 25 percent detained. Of youth referred to community services, Salinas said 70 percent initiated services (exceeding the 67 percent target) and the Immediate Intervention Program (IIP), a 16‑week diversion program, had a 96 percent successful completion rate for participants.

Salinas also reported juvenile intensive supervision and community reentry outcomes: the juvenile ISP success rate averaged about 79 percent, and among youth who completed JISP, CR and JCF programs, roughly 90 percent did not commit a new offense during the measured follow‑up window. Salinas credited family engagement, transportation supports and partnerships with community providers for improved outcomes.

Commissioner questions and concerns: Commissioners asked for baseline counts and clarity on how out‑of‑county courtesy supervisions are counted toward KDOC metrics; staff said roughly 250–300 adult courtesy supervisions are managed at any given time and that jurisdictions that send clients receive official credit for successful closures even when Sedgwick County provided the supervision. Commissioners also pressed juvenile staff on intakes for weapons‑related cases and on whether diversion options were effective; Salinas said a prior weapons intervention program had zero engagement, and that many families choose not to participate when cases are not prosecuted.

Administrative step: County presenters said the comprehensive plan outcomes are presented annually and the chairman was asked to sign an acknowledgement that the commission had received the report; staff said that signed acknowledgement then is submitted to KDOC as part of the state reporting and grant process.

Ending: Officials said the juvenile results show gains in engagement and reduced reoffending for program completers, while the adult side continues to adapt supervision practice. Commissioners requested additional data on repeat intakes, weapons‑related juvenile intakes and the budgetary implications of program changes.","Department of Corrections staff briefed the commission on adult and juvenile comprehensive plan outcomes, describing new curricula, continuous quality‑improvement steps and juvenile program successes while noting KDOC success‑rate targets were not met for adult supervision.","actionData","errors"]

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Sedgwick County officials say KDOC funding formula would cut community corrections grant by about $2.1 million; commissioners plan appeal

Sedgwick County presents adult, juvenile comprehensive corrections plans; officials cite training gains but say KDOC success metric remains unmet