Kansas Governor Signs Order to Move Juvenile Justice Agency to Department of Corrections

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback took the first step Friday to reorganize the state’s juvenile justice system, putting into motion his plan to move the management of more than 1,500 juvenile offenders under the auspices of the state department of corrections.
By signing an Executive Reorganization Order (ERO) on Friday, Jan. 18, Brownback sent to the Kansas Legislature his proposal to place the Juvenile Justice Authority (JJA) agency under the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC). The signing of the ERO gives the legislature 60 days to act on the issue. If neither legislative chamber rejects the ERO, the move will become official.
The Kansas JJA had been battered by criticism for some time, prompting Brownback to move aggressively. A post audit report released in 2012 brought to light inefficiencies and neglect in the agency.
But even before the post audit was made public, Brownback removed the commissioner of the JJA last March and began consolidating some of the administrative services of the two agencies.
“The post audit highlighted how the decades-old approach to a social-services focus failed to provide the safety and security that our juvenile offenders require and deserve,” Brownback said.
The JJA currently houses 328 juvenile offenders in two facilities – the Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility, and the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex in Topeka. The other juveniles under the supervision of the JJA are located in community placement.

State law allows youth ages 10-23 to be in JJA custody. Brownback believes they deserve better than what the embattled JJA was providing.
“The audit clearly shows that for their safety, security and well-being, juvenile offenders must be served by a professional corrections agency,” said the governor. “My administration looks forward to working with the Kansas Legislature on this long-term solution to the issues at JJA.”
Even before the proposal became official, legislators were asking questions. KDOC Secretary Ray Roberts assured the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice on Thursday, Jan. 17 that youth would not be placed in adult facilities with dangerous criminals.
“We have no plans to treat them like adults. We don’t plan to merge the juvenile facilities into the existing adult facilities and minimize the effectiveness of the programs in place in the JJA,” said Roberts. “We understand they represent a specialized population and should be treated as such. We have specialized units in our adult facilities (such as geriatric and mentally ill populations) and we don’t treat them all alike.
“We understand it is a juvenile system. We don’t want to turn it into a prison,” Roberts said.
Roberts said his agency has much to offer the JJA.
“The KDOC has spent a lot of years on safety and security, and we’re not problem-free, obviously, but we have a lot of experience and systems to offer,” said the secretary. “We have strong training, investigation and IT teams that that can give them a lot of what they need.”
Performing as the head of the JJA for several months has been Terri Williams, a veteran of the KDOC. She was named Acting JJA Commissioner last March, and barring opposition from the legislature, she will become the new Deputy Secretary of Juvenile Services.
“With a broader organizational base, we can focus on the work necessary to make the Kansas juvenile justice system a nationally-recognized model – one that promotes public safety through sound correctional practices and reduces recidivism through the provision of well-researched, evidence-based services,” said Williams. “The youth, families, staff and citizens of Kansas deserve nothing less.”  

Todd Fertig is Publications Writer for the Kansas Department of Corrections.