The KDOC named Stephen Jones, a captain at Hutchinson Correctional Facility, its uniformed employee of the year and Howard Brown its volunteer of the year for going beyond the call of duty to help the KDOC enhance the safety of security of inmates and the public. The pair were among 45 honorees celebrated for their achievements during the ceremony held at Topeka Correctional Facility Wednesday.

Jones, a retired U.S. Army paratrooper, was recognized for his no-nonsense approach and professionalism that have earned him the respect of staff and inmates. Brown, a volunteer at the Wichita Parole Office, was manning the front desk in December 2013 when a former parolee broke out a second-floor window and remained on the ledge during a two-hour standoff with police. Despite the erupting chaos, Brown helped quell confusion by ensuring the safety of offenders waiting in the lobby

Also recognized Wednesday were:

• Richard W. Booher, a unit team manager at Ellsworth Correctional Facility, as non-uniformed employee of the year,
• Ginger Jones, a case manager with Central Kansas Mental Health Center in the KDOC’s northern parole region, as contract employee of the year; and,
• Bobbi Bradbury, an intensive supervision officer with the 28th Judicial District Community Corrections, as community corrections employee of the year.

The KDOC’s Office of Victim Services named Brett Peterson, a policy compliance manager and executive officer to the warden at Lansing Correctional Facility, as its Champion of Justice for his collaboration with victim services.

Corrections Secretary Ray Roberts commended staff and volunteers for helping the KDOC’s lower the number of critical incidents in the past year and for keeping the KDOC’s recidivism rate steady.

“You all do a great job of making a difference in people’s lives,” said Roberts to the honorees. “You all do your part to make the KDOC successful.”

The ceremony’s guest speaker, Kansas Sen. Greg Smith of Olathe, expressed his gratitude to KDOC staff, their families and volunteers for willingly enduring hardships to ensure public safety.

“Today, we honor the professionals – those that have gone above what is required, and who do so on a daily basis - hidden from public view and public accolades,” he said. “This ceremony, in a small way, shows the public what you do, and how well you do it.”

The KDOC’s individual nominees by facility and division are: 

Uniformed 2014 (Click to view photo)

• Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex
  Kristopher Quarterman, Juvenile Corrections Officer I
• Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility
  Dauna Herman, Juvenile Corrections Officer II
• Ellsworth Correctional Facility
  Sarah M. Trevino, Corrections Officer II
• El Dorado Correctional Facility
  Ricky Beck, Corrections Specialist II
• Hutchinson Correctional Facility
  Stephen Jones, Captain
• Lansing Correctional Facility
  Savannah Shaw, Corrections Officer I
• Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
  Michael Craven, Corrections Officer I
• Norton Correctional Facility
  Scott Farr,Corrections Specialist III
• Topeka Correctional Facility
  Tammy Shoulders, Captain
• Winfield Correctional Facility
  Kendle Doll, Corrections Officer II
 

Non Uniformed 2014 (Click to view photo)

• Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex
  Juwanna Rivers, Corrections Counselor II
• Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility
  Kay Keller, Certified Nurse Aide II
• El Dorado Correctional Facility
  Donna Buntain, Corrections Counselor II
• Ellsworth Correctional Facility
  Richard W. Booher, Unit Team Manager
• Hutchinson Correctional Facility
  Kathy Cannon, Senior Administrative Assistant
• Lansing Correctional Facility
  Darrell Mansfield, Activity Specialist I
• Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
  Jeff Byrum, Institutional Parole Officer
• Norton Correctional Facility
  Charles Husted, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor
• Topeka Correctional Facility
  Angela Golightley, Mental Health Specialist- Peer Support
• Winfield Correctional Facility
  Denise “Robbie” Reynolds, Policy and Compliance Manager
• Kansas Correctional Industries
  Brad Sowter, Marketing Manager
• Northern Parole Region
  Tonya King, Administrative Assistant, Olathe Parole Office
• Southern Parole Region
  Chase Tipton, Parole Supervisor, Wichita Parole Office
• KDOC Central Office
  Michelle Sullivan, Corrections Manager, Sentence Computation Unit

Volunteer 2014 (Click to view photo)

• Ellsworth Correctional Facility
  S. Darnell Holopirek
• El Dorado Correctional Facility
  Mark and Wendy Wine
• Hutchinson Correctional Facility
  John Simmons
• Lansing Correctional Facility
  Robert Schluben
• Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
  Howard “Mike” Boys
• Norton Correctional Facility
  Brandon Gay
• Topeka Correctional Facility
  Donna Shelite
• Northern Parole Region
  Kimberly Becker
• Southern Parole Region
  Howard Brown
 

Contract 2014 (Click to view photo)

• Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex
  Kathy Kroenke, School Staff Member, Greenbush
• El Dorado Correctional Facility
  Jerry Green, RDU Assessment Technician, Greenbush
• Hutchinson Correctional Facility
  John Brown, LPN, Corizon
• Lansing Correctional Facility
  Laura Thornton, Clinical Director, Clinical Associates
• Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
  John Pritchett, Activity Therapist, Corizon
• Norton Correctional Facility
  Debra Summers, Registered Nurse, Corizon
• Topeka Correctional Facility
  Victoria McClintok, Health Services Administrator, Corizon
• Winfield Correctional Facility
  Natalie Troup, Program Provider, Substance Abuse Center of Kansas
• Northern Parole Region
  Ginger Jones, Case Manager, Central Kansas Mental Health Center
• Southern Parole Region
  Ron Gross, Polygraph Examiner, Forensic Truth Analysis

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