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Community corrections director reports staffing, program and grant updates; new walk-in intake and monitoring app highlighted
Summary
Catherine Sparks told commissioners the KDOC workbooks were approved, the department is piloting walk-in intakes and a Repath monitoring app, and that grant and evidence-based funding changes may not arrive until FY2028. She reported caseload numbers and recent program activity.
Catherine Sparks, Atchison County Community Corrections director, gave a quarterly update covering July–September activity, program changes and grant prospects.
Sparks said both KDOC workbooks were approved and noted a minor $5 discrepancy in the accounting workbooks that staff are documenting and working with KDOC to resolve. She described two internal amendments already signed: one moved salary and benefit line items to match actual pay structure and funded a one-week sober‑living placement for a client; the juvenile amendment moved on-call pay into salary and shifted funding to support additional academic services.
On services and operations, Sparks said the office has introduced and is promoting walk-in intake for families that need help before a criminal matter occurs, and that a voluntary case management program awarded in July is now serving youth who score at a certain risk level on the mental‑health screening tool. She said the county was accepted into the crossover youth practice framework (one of six counties selected) to improve coordination among DCF, schools and other partners.
Sparks also described a technology pilot: the department is using Repath, a smartphone application that can provide appointment reminders and location monitoring for some clients on intent supervision; the JCAB will review full implementation. She cautioned that a statewide adult funding formula overhaul is stalled and that local changes from a third‑party review are unlikely before FY2028 (July 1, 2027 earliest for changes).
Caseload snapshot Sparks provided: 11 youth on intent supervision in the quarter, eight intake and assessments (two carried over), 108 clients assigned in total with 37 active and 17 on bond. She said cognitive‑based tools and incentive/response programs are in their early years with steady increases in participation.
Sparks closed by inviting commissioners to a Nov. 20 meeting on Repath for more information and said Representative Rivas will meet with local leaders on Dec. 16 to discuss how state representatives can help with local priorities.
