Since Barton County serves as the administrative county for the Kansas 20th Judicial District, it falls to the commission to sign off on 2020 budget requests involving related agencies. That was the case Monday morning when it approved funding and grants for the district’s Juvenile Services. 

The budget request was presented by Director Marissa Woodmansee. It was prepared based on figures provided by the Kansas Department of Corrections, Juvenile Services. 

The budget request is $635,847.82, with $33,157.82 of that amount for prevention and $602,690 for graduated sanctions, Woodmansee said. This marks the third year in a row that the funding level has remained the same, despite continued increases in operation costs.

Looking at success-failure rates, she said 44 out of 51 Immediate Intervention participants successfully completed the program in last fiscal year, or 86 percent. The KDOC now expects a 2 percent improvement for this year.

In Intensive Supervision Probation (which helps high-risk youth), 14 of 21 were successful, or 70 percent. Again, the state wants to see a 2 percent improvement.

“We have to look at what’s going on in the homes,” Woodmansee said. “What are the other barriers.”

In addition, commissioners OKed Woodmansee applying for a Reinvestment Grant for a Family Engagement and Advocacy Program totaling $128,251.09.

This program is designed to provide a strength-based and solution-focused approach with parents and youth who are facing criminal charges or have been adjudicated as an offender, Woodmansee said. “By recognizing the important role families can play in the supervision and rehabilitation of the identified at risk population, program goals are to change the culture of ‘us versus them’ and start building cooperative relationships.” 

The money will fund two full-time positions, and pay for training and other costs. 

The 20th Judicial District serves Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties, with Barton being the largest.