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 building a $20 million facility funded by a $10 million county bond issue and a $10 million dollar-for-dollar match from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). The project remains on track for completion in April 2026, Phelps said, though weather-related delays have occurred during earlier phases of excavation and concrete work.

Phelps described construction milestones: deep footing piers, underground plumbing and electrical rough-ins, steel erection, and a plan to have the building "closed and sealed" by July to allow interior work. He said the county has identified some contingency savings and is pursuing additional funding — including possible opioid funds, bond interest, and federal dollars arriving in fiscal 2026 — to finish outfitting cells on the third floor if necessary.

The commissioners were also briefed on competency restoration options under a recent change to state law. Phelps said the legislature modified KSA 22-3301 to allow two new options: mobile competency services delivered by Larned State Hospital staff elsewhere in the state, and locally run competency restoration programs operated by county partners. Shawnee County tested mobile competency with KDADS and cleared eight to ten people from the statewide waiting list, Phelps said, but determined local capacity would address a wider range of people who are currently waiting for placement.

To stand up a local program, the department contracted with Valeo for programming and adjusted its medication-management contract with Armor. Phelps said a local committee — including Valeo clinicians, contract evaluators Becca Maltby, jail classification and security staff, and Armor representatives — will begin meeting on the 11th of the month to identify eligible inmates. He named Cheyenne Lyons as the Valeo clinician who will conduct programming. Phelps said the county held community education and a continuing legal education (CLE) session for local attorneys as part of the rollout.

Angela McCarty described juvenile detention center programs and a shift to performance-based standards promoted by the Center for Improving Youth Justice. The juvenile facility now participates in data cycles every April and October; McCarty said the first data cycle showed strengths and some improvement needs, including family engagement and timely suicide-prevention screening. "We scored low" in the metric that requires health and suicide screening within one hour of intake, she said, and attributed part of the delay to staffing availability after roughly 3:30 p.m. when juvenile nursing and behavioral-health staff rely on jail-side staff to respond.

Deputy Director Joe Rucker summarized two inmate work crews that operate in city and county programs, placing crews at Lake Shawnee, Forbes Field and other public sites for landscaping, mulching and property improvement work. Rucker said crews provide community benefit and give participants tangible skills and pride in their work.

Major Steve Willis, Community Corrections director, described adult and juvenile supervision programs, partnerships with Family Service and Guidance Center, Boys & Girls Club and other community providers, and new grants. Willis said Community Corrections received a $725,000 grant over three years to expand mental-health services and cover up to 10 mental-health sessions per probationer, and that a separate drug-screening grant will let the agency reallocate $70,000 in local budget dollars to direct services.

There were no formal votes on the department's items during the work session. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about funding sources and timeline; Phelps acknowledged continuing funding work and said federal fiscal-year timing may allow backfilling in 2026.

Shawnee County officials said next steps include rolling out the local competency restoration committee, continuing construction through 2025 and 2026, and working with state partners to align funding and continue community outreach and attorney education.