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Saline County Community Corrections warns funding formula may cut $292,000 over three years
Summary
The Community Corrections director reported on programs, staffing and training and said a new state funding formula (effective FY 2027) could reduce county adult-division funding by about $292,000 over three years, potentially forcing cuts to services such as embedded recovery coaching and messaging services.
The Saline County Community Corrections director delivered a six-month update to commissioners on Oct. 7, describing program growth, training, staffing changes and concerns about an impending state funding-model change that staff project could reduce adult-division funding by roughly $292,000 over the next three years.
The director said the office is using a messaging and supervision tool called Repath (not mandated) for client contact and GPS monitoring of high-risk clients and noted three officers ranked in the vendor’s national engagement metrics. The juvenile division will receive quality-assurance services through Community Solutions (CSI), paid for by the Kansas Department of Corrections; the director said she is negotiating to expand a similar contract to the adult division.
The office hosted its annual conference in September at the Webster Conference Center with 208 attendees, 27 speakers and six vendors. Staffing changes include a transfer of a seasoned officer (Kyle Jones) from the adult to juvenile division and two recent adult-side hires, including Carly Bratt (a former intern) and Ellie Wiles, who started Oct. 6.
The director gave current caseload numbers: 400 clients in adult intensive supervision (14 are Ottawa County cases); 102 participants in the drug court program; about 117 clients monitored through pretrial services; and roughly 140 juvenile clients (four are Ottawa County cases). From April 1 to Sept. 30 the office logged 146 juvenile intake incidents (the director noted the term "incidents" does not equal distinct individual juveniles).
On funding, the director said the Kansas Department of Corrections has finalized a new funding formula that will begin in state fiscal year 2027 (July 2026). The new model uses a 60% / 40% split, with 60% weighted to average daily population (ADP) and 40% allocated using factors including crime index, poverty rate, population, geographic area and turnover rate; the director said the formula also incorporates a success rate metric. The director said county projections show the office could lose approximately $292,000 over the next three years under the new adult-division distribution and expressed concern that losses would reduce services such as Repath and the CKF recovery-coach liaison (the liaison arrangement currently costs the office about $50,000 per year).
The director said Sedgwick County has publicly objected and sent a letter to Kansas Department of Corrections leadership; Saline County staff have not taken similar formal action but said they stand ready to support larger jurisdictions. The board asked questions about where cuts would fall; the director said potential reductions would affect behavioral health services and client-facing supports before supervision staffing, noting the office must preserve core probation functions.
The director closed by thanking commissioners for past support and asking for continued assistance as the county prepares for the funding change.
No action was requested or taken on the funding formula at the Oct. 7 meeting; the item was informational.
