Douglas County, Kansas has a population of 112,000. Its county-seat, Lawrence, is an urban bedroom community, home to the University of Kansas and situated equally between the state capital of Topeka and metropolitan Kansas City. The Douglas County Correctional Facility in Lawrence is a 186-bed facility holding a population consisting of pre-trial (58%), sentenced (27%), pending transport to the Kansas Department of Corrections (9%) and awaiting or admitted to state security hospitals (6%) inmates. The facility encompasses a full booking unit; minimum, medium and maximum classification units; a multi-classification women’s unit; and a 46-bed work release center. The Douglas County facility population reflects the issues that jail facilities grapple with nationwide. 17% of Douglas County inmates identified themselves as homeless; 78% indicated that alcohol and/or drug abuse has resulted in social, economic and/or legal problems; and 40% of the facility’s pharmaceutical expenses are for psychotropic medications. The challenges of repeat arrestees abound: 15% of the total arrestee population account for 43% of the total bookings.
“As a part of our department’s mission to provide effective and efficient public safety services to our citizens, we embrace this opportunity with the Transition from Jail to Community project. A reentry effort isn’t just the jail’s responsibility: It is a system of partners throughout our communities,” says Douglas County Sheriff Ken McGovern.
TJC project assistance has brought facility staff, community stakeholders and government leaders together to build upon the reentry foundation already laid in Douglas County. TJC technical assistance has included workshops on evidence-based practices for staff and a review of the information management system, has filled knowledge gaps and systematically helped address successful reentry in Douglas County. TJC’s evaluation component is documenting activities and processes to gauge whether implementation of the model is on track, and improve the initiative’s overall operations.
This inaugural year has seen collaboration efforts realized all along the TJC model's spectrum:
√ Leadership, Vision & Organizational Culture
Developed organizational structure for initiative
√ Collaboration & Joint Ownership
Defined goals & outcome measures for the initiative
Diverse stakeholder involvement
√ Data-Driven Understanding of the Local Issue
Began data extraction and analysis of data on jail population
Initiated pilot program to track and evaluate inmates post-release
√ Transition Intervention Strategies
Identified screening tool for all arrestees
Developed LoCIRP (Local Correctional Inmate Release Plan)
√ Self-Evaluation & Sustainability
Developed Douglas County TJC Implementation Roadmap
Survey of jail reentry stakeholders
Gained greater understanding of policies, procedures, protocols and practices that impact reentry
Despite many challenges, we are optimistic about future endeavors:
• Universal screening and targeted assessment based on screening results
• Case management in the community
• Triage approach: who gets what, with limited resources
• Expanding program offerings and volunteers to improve consistent deliver of interventions, pre- and post-release
• Adding mentoring programs
• Intervening with the pre-trial population
• Developing additional step-down transition points
• Measuring effectiveness—what works? what doesn’t?
Additional information on Douglas County’s reentry efforts is available in this factsheet and in their Reentry Newsletters: Issue 1, March 2008; Issue 2, May 2008; Issue 3, June 2008; Vol.II, Issue 2, November 2009; Vol III, Issue 1, October 2010; and Vol IV, Issue 1, January 2011.
For more information, contact Douglas County Reentry Director Shannon Murphy: smurphy@douglas-county.com.
