Sheriff reports staffing, accreditation and jail cost savings; commissioners press for mental-health tracking

Geary County Sheriff Nate Beckman delivered a biweekly briefing that included jail statistics, accreditation progress and several operational changes that the sheriff said reduced costs and improved staffing.

Beckman reported a two-week average daily jail population of 85.5 inmates, 555 calls for service during the period and 21 arrests. He highlighted dual accreditation work—national CALEA and the Kansas CLEAP program—and listed grant activity (about $55,000 secured with another $15,000 pending) and renegotiated contracts that reduced operating costs.

The sheriff told commissioners he reduced overtime and eliminated several positions following an internal review, which he said returned roughly six figures to the county budget, and that the department achieved full staffing for the first time in over 20 years.

Beckman described corrections training, an updated detention-center policy manual and expanded trustee programs, and he noted tablets provided by a private vendor are being used for in-cell programming. He said a mental-health contractor, Tiffany McCone, is under contract to provide roughly 8'10 hours of services weekly and that in 2025 only eight crisis intervention assessments were provided through a partner (PontiMental/Honeywell Health), usually by phone.

Commissioners expressed concern that county funds may be paying for overlapping services and asked staff to begin systematic tracking of inmates' mental-health provider status. The sheriff said staff began a questionnaire-based tracking process on Feb. 1 and recommended the board could reallocate funding if outside providers are not treating incarcerated patients as expected.

Beckman closed by thanking staff and noting the sheriff's office will post a fuller report online for public review.