Shawnee County corrections officials report staffing gains, outline behavioral health facility and local competency restoration plan

Shawnee County Department of Corrections leaders told the Board of County Commissioners on May 29 that staffing and training initiatives have reduced vacancies and forced overtime, that construction of a new behavioral health facility is on schedule, and that the county will launch a local competency restoration program this month.

The presentation opened with Brian Cole, Shawnee County Department of Corrections, saying the department has cut vacancies from about 70 in 2021 to roughly 15 now and reduced a turnover rate that was nearly 40% to about 22%. "Our morale is much better," Cole said, adding the department has repurposed recruitment and training resources and expanded a four-week academy with a dedicated week of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training.

County officials described why the changes matter. The department reported fewer module lockdowns, restored inmate programming, more work crews out in the community, and a decline in forced overtime that had earlier required some staff to work daily for months. Cole credited higher wages, referral bonuses, sign-on incentives and improved training—conducted in partnership with Washburn University and Washburn Tech—for the personnel gains.

Major Tim Phelps, who oversees the behavioral health unit project and competency restoration effort, said the county is…