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Douglas County court authorized to accept $1M BJA award; county to front $348,390 for veterans treatment court operations
Summary
The commission authorized county court staff to accept and expend federal grant funds to implement a Veterans Treatment Court projected to cost the county $348,390 over four years (reimbursed by the Office of Judicial Administration). Vote: 5-0.
The Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted 5-0 on March 26 to authorize county court staff to accept and expend federal grant funds to implement a Veterans Treatment Court (VTC). The Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a $1 million grant over four years to the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration (OJA); OJA is the federal award recipient and will administer most program costs directly.
Judge Amy Hanley, Douglas County District Court, presented the proposal and described the VTC’s mission: “to promote public safety and reduce recidivism by specifically targeting the unique challenges facing veterans who suffer from mental health and or substance abuse issues that are related to their military service and to provide them a treatment strategy,” she said. Judge Hanley said VTCs use early intervention, intensive treatment, veteran mentors and VA partnerships to connect participants to services and reduce incarceration and hospitalizations.
OJA and the county outlined the funding structure. OJA holds the grant and will directly pay major program staff such as the grant coordinator and court services officer; Douglas County is expected to front an estimated $348,390 in program costs over four years and then seek reimbursement from OJA. Judge Hanley said she added a 15% contingency to staff’s initial estimate to arrive at the $348,390 figure and stressed that reimbursement to the county depends on OJA’s ability to draw down federal funds. OJA confirmed the grant is reimbursement-based and said the county should submit invoices and supporting documentation for prompt processing; OJA said more frequent reimbursement requests (monthly) would reduce county cash exposure.
Commissioners questioned program timing, evaluation, risk and local partner coordination. OJA’s Dawn Huddleston outlined performance-reporting practices used for other Kansas specialty courts; OJA and judge Hanley said program-level performance indicators will track participant outcomes and that OJA intends to procure a state evaluator for cross-court evaluation. Commissioners also asked whether local courts could absorb participants if federal funding was cut; OJA and county staff said the VTC would be paused if federal funds are not available and that the county’s direct exposure is limited to the smaller operational costs it must advance.
Judge Hanley said the VTC will target veterans charged with substance-related offenses and high-risk, high-need individuals, including those with PTSD or traumatic brain injury. She cited local data: a recent DA-run report identified 56 defendants with VA service flags in October 2024, court services supervises six veterans on probation, and county booking data show between 5 and 20 veterans booked per month in recent years.
Commissioner Reid moved to authorize acceptance and expenditure of federal funds to support the VTC in the projected amount of $348,390 over four years; Commissioner Dorsey seconded. The motion passed 5-0. County staff and OJA said no grant-funded expenditures have been made yet, and OJA will hire and directly pay the grant coordinator. The county will monitor reimbursements and can pause spending if federal drawdowns are interrupted.
