LARNED — The Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility Advisory Council met recently. Minutes were reported by Shelia Rodriguez, LJCF administrative assistant.
Employees of the Year
Employees of the Year Recognition was given to Jerry Johnson, Westside School; and Sgt. Kevin Pflughoeft.
Employees of the Quarter
Superintendent Kyle Rohr, LJCF, recognized Employees of the Quarter — Brenda Rubio, JCO I; Tom Snyder, Program Specialist III; Kenny Cullison, JCO I; and Julie Snodgrass, Staff Development.
Personnel
• Will Tice was promoted from Juvenile Correctional Officer I to Facility Specialist.
• New Recognition was given to new employees of the past two quarters — Phil Tongier, Health Services Administrator; Jason Shute, General Maintenance Repair Tech Senior; and Charles Bollig, Patrick McAnuIla, Alex Perez, Colby Wetzel, Kelsey Young, Ryler Bass, Allison Brown, Aaron Davis, Amanda Davis, Suzanne Heaton, David Ibarra and Coreena Watson, all JCO Is.
Past events
• State Senator Ruth Teichmann, currently on the Ways and Means Committee, toured the Larned State Hospital Complex in January with John Settle, Pawnee County attorney; Kathy Bowman, County Commissioner; John Haas, County Commissioner; Kim Barnes, Pawnee County Economic Development; and Rita Kurtz, Pawnee County Economic Development.
• State Senator Allen Schmidt toured the facility along with Dr. Hammond from the Larned State Hospital, and Courtland Holman, Larned Chamber of Commerce executive director April 18.
• A Tri-Agency Bowling Tournament was held at Fairway Lanes. LJCF’s team, “Spare Parts,” placed 11th out of 13 teams.
• A presentation was given by Rich Garza, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, to the youth residents.
• A potluck dinner was held this past winter to welcome JJA’s new Commissioner Curtis Whitten. Attending were Deputy Commissioner Dennis Casarona and Inspector General Britt Nichols.
• The Spring Fling potluck was a Baked Potato Bar, which was held during March Madness Week. For a one dollar per day donation to the Employee Activity Fund, staff were allowed to wear jeans and their favorite team shirts of any sport.
• A performance was given to the youth residents by the Kansas/Nebraska Singing Men.
• A mandatory STD presentation by Mindi Kulhal was given to the youth residents on the open units.
• Freedom Ministries gave a concert for the youth residents.
• LJCF held a blood drive April 25. An exact number was not given, but approximately 19 units of blood were donated. As each unit has the potential to save three lives, this could help save up to 57 lives.
• A Tri-Agency Volleyball Tournament for employees was held, with the LJCF “Ball Busters” taking fourth place out of seven.
• During the first week of May, LJCF observed National Corrections Week. Activities and treats included: Sonic drink coupons were given out; service awards were issued for staff; A day was declared a jeans day, and staff received a free lunch of sloppy joes, chips, baked beans, and soda; A slide show honored the 40 years of youth services provided at Larned. A snack and soda was provided; The Executive Committee planned a surprise for all staff.
• Community volunteers were recognized in the Volunteer Mentoring Program, which meets the first Sunday evening of each month for an hour to play table games with the YRs. Don and Marie Gaeddert, Ronda Hales, Katie Pasnick, Vi Prosser, Dennis Scheibmeir, David and Rita Schmidt were recognized.
• Sheila Edwards, human resources director, reports LJCF hired four JCO Is. The 2-10 p.m. shift continues to have the highest turnover, which we are trying to improve. Thirty JCO Is were hired during the 2011 fiscal year. Vacancies include eight JCO Is; five non-JCO positions are open, but on hold.
Service awards were issued to employees with five years to 35 years of employment, in increments of five, on May 3.
April was a PbS month. Since October, the numbers indicated LJCF is improving with decreased injuries, restraints and segregation hours.
• Deputy Superintendent Wendy Leiker has returned to Larned from Ellinwood, adding two more students to the Larned school district.
Leiker reports uses of force is down to single digits.
• Gerald Jenisch, LJCF juvenile corrections director, reports out of 13 JCO I employees who started since January, 10 are still working.
LJCF is the middle of bidding on seniority based vacation, shift bidding and post assignments.
LJCF is attempting to install razor wire up on the fence.
• Rob Manry, LJCF business manager, reports in addition to state funds, LJCF gets state building funds, used for replacing a steam oven in the cafeteria, a new water softener for the cold water, and a new water heater.
The last two years, grants were applied for, which $106,000 paid for three JCOs. The grant has been applied for again.
• Anita Ellison, LJCF program director, reports she attended re-entry meetings with Sedgwick County Community agencies.
The program looked at youth going back to the community and looked at keeping the youth in school and finding jobs.
Wichita schools sponsor a program, “Do you Want to Live or Die.” The program helps youth with what to do regarding leaving a gang, and has been productive.
Youth in the vocational department painted the spindles at the Splash Pad at Doerr-Vernon Park.
• Kyle Rohr, LJCF superintendent, reported in the absence of Phil Tongier, health services administrator.
Rohr said Dr. Ammons is developing an assessment tool to classify services youth residents with mental health behavior issues and challenges so they may receive programs, treatment, and supervision suited for their condition.
• Gayla Burger, LJCF administrative officer, reports the records and information management department is doing things with paper reduction and electronic files:
The Disciplinary Hearings are now being scanned. This reduces the filing from approximately eight sheets of paper to only three or four per hearing.
An electronic file, which both LJCF and KJCC have access, has been created to share information between the two facilities.
• Westside School Principal Casey Cloninger said Westside offered the written portion of Drivers Education.
Westside is offering business classes to help open doors for employment.
Westside has established home rooms, in which the youth residents can work on their resume and cover page, job applications and references.
• Five or six youth GEDs and six or seven will receive their diplomas at graduation.
• David Hales, LCJF clinical chaplain, said youth events planned would feature presentations by Scott Gregory and friends of the Great Bend Zoo at Brit Spaugh Park, the Kansas Cosmosphere and the Kansas Highway Patrol office.
• Advisory member Jerry Buxton, former Great Bend Tribune reporter, who passed away this spring, was recognized as a contributor.
Citizen Advisory Member Carl immenschuh is battling a major illness.
Two LJCF employees have had very destructive house fires — the Rev. David Hales and David Moore, JCO I.