ARCHIVED: 2015 News Stories
Barton one of nine in nation awarded large grant to provide inmate education
Barton Community College has been awarded a grant of more than $1 million, paid out over three years, to develop its already robust inmate education programming at Ellsworth Correctional Facility and Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility.
Graduating HCF inmates stand tall as a deep sense of pride infuses their accomplishment
The keynote speaker for the first inmate graduation at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility East Unit in many years, left the graduates with a simple message: Never give up.
Barton Celebrates Inmate Success at Ellsworth Correctional Facility
Passion, spirit and hope were frequently used words employed by numerous speakers to describe inmate learners at the 11th Annual Learning Celebration on Tuesday evening at Ellsworth Correctional Facility.
Barton Community College and LCMHF Open Vocational Building
Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility (LCMHF) has been home to Xavier Rodriguez for more than two years. Like more than 90 percent of offenders, Rodriguez will eventually be released back into society. Questions then remain, “Is he changed? Can he ‘make it’ without resorting to criminal activity?” According to Justice.gov, he would have a 30 percent chance of landing back in prison within six months. That’s the cycle the Kansas Department of Corrections and Barton Community College are breaking, one student-inmate at a time.
Winfield Inmates Help Give Rescued Dogs a Second Chance
Winfield Correctional Facility partners with Cowley County Humane Society (CCHS) to care for dogs in need of a foster home. The following article is re-published with permission from CCHS as it appeared in the CCHS July 2015 newsletter.
LJCF Dons Red High Heels to "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes"
Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility (LJCF) staff and youth raised funds and awareness to combat violence against women as part of Great Bend’s sixth annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event held April 28.
Larned Teen Named Finalist in National Talent Contest for Youth in Juvenile Justice
Nicodemus G. from Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility earned a spot in the finals this week for his take on pop singer Ariana Grande’s song ‘Break Free’ as part of a national virtual talent contest. The contest is part of the 20th anniversary celebration for Performance-based Standards (PbS), an initiative of the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) that provides national standards for juvenile justice agencies, facilities and residential care providers.
LJCF Recognizes Newly Promoted Supervisors
Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility (LJCF) recognized three newly promoted staff at its Town Hall meeting held Wednesday, May 6. Those recognized were: Charles Perez, Juvenile Corrections Officer II (sergeant); Justin Veeder, Juvenile Corrections Officer III (lieutenant); and Sam Sullivan, Juvenile Corrections Officer II (sergeant).
Governor Brownback Signs Proclamation for Correctional Officers and Employees Week, May 3 - 9, 2015
Highlighting the important role correctional officers and employees play in making Kansas safer, Governor Sam Brownback has signed a proclamation declaring May 3 through 9, 2015 as Kansas Correctional Officers and Employees Week.
33rd Annual Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial to Honor Topeka Corporal Jason Harwood
A candlelight vigil will begin in the first floor rotunda of the Kansas statehouse at 8 p.m., Thursday, May 7, 2015. The memorial ceremony and wreath laying ceremony will begin in the second floor rotunda of the Kansas statehouse at noon, Friday, May 8, 2015.
Juvenile Justice Reforms Working in Wyandotte County
New strategies are putting fewer juvenile offenders in detention in Wyandotte County but also helping those youth who are behind bars.
KJCC High School Holds First-Ever Open House
Youth at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Facility Complex (KJCC) recently had the opportunity to show off their schoolwork and introduce their parents and caregivers to their teachers at the facility's newly-renovated Lawrence-Gardner High School (LGHS).
