Analysis Area 1: (A) Examine the parole supervised population in Sedgwick County (Wichita) using Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) data to determine any trends pertaining to their supervision and criminogenic risks and needs. (B) Examine the criminal offending pattern of the parole supervised population using WPD data to understand the scope of the public safety challenges this population presents in Sedgwick County.
Background: According to KDOC data, in November 2019, there were 2,214 individuals being supervised on parole in the Wichita area. Nearly half of these people were originally convicted outside of Sedgwick County and hail from outside the South Central Kansas region. In 2019, people supervised on parole were involved in 2,693 WPD police reports and were responsible for 316 violent crimes, 300 property crimes, 58 weapon possession offenses, and 202 drug offenses. Additionally, in 2019, individuals supervised on parole in Sedgwick County were listed as victims of crime in 450 WPD reports.
Update: In March, CSG Justice Center staff continued to evaluate KDOC data and our ability to analyze this data to answer questions about people on parole in Sedgwick county. While there are some preliminary data points we believe will be helpful to understand Wichita’s parole population, additional answers from KDOC on the data are needed.
Analysis Area 2: Work to understand the system of social and tangible supports in Sedgwick County and whether in their current form they have the capacity to function effectively by: (A) examining the system of medical, behavioral health, mental health, and substance use treatment services available to the parole population in Sedgwick County; (B) examining the available housing for individuals supervised on parole, including the available housing for specialized populations (i.e., individuals convicted of sex offenses; people with severe mental illnesses, physical disabilities, etc.); (C) examining the parole population’s use of emergency services such as EMS, emergency departments, and fire department deployment.
Background: Unlike many other areas of Kansas, Sedgwick County has numerous behavioral health, medical, mental health, and housing services that are available to the parole population. These services have seen their budgets reduced in recent years and report being overwhelmed by the ever-increasing demand. As a result, many of the people who seek services in Wichita are not able to access them. Even when community service providers are able to serve an individual, the person is often placed in temporary living situations in high-crime areas, which leads to lower likelihoods of successful rehabilitation and higher rates of victimization.
Update: In March, CSG Justice Center staff formulated lists of assessment questions that could be used to further understand system capacity and identified additional stakeholders for outreach from the mental health, substance use, food assistance, housing, and employment and job training sectors.
Please check the box next to the following questions if the answer is 'yes'.
Please enter the applicable Event Date if there is an Event associated with this TTA.
When entering an Event Date, the Time is also required.
If the TTA is targeted to a particular audience or location, please complete the questions below.
Milestones are an element, activity, work product, or key task associated with completing the TTA (e.g. kick-off meeting, collect data from stake holders, deliver initial data analysis).
Please complete the fields below, if applicable, to create a milestone for this TTA.
• 3/13: Call with Records Captain, WPD to discuss agenda and logistics for a third meeting of the Local Leadership Council. Project timing and strategy were also discussed.
Research Monthly Status: In March, CSG Justice Center research staff analyzed parole data from the Kansas Department of Corrections, attempting to replicate published statistics to confirm that the files contained the necessary information. Research staff compiled the results of this analysis with published figures for discussions with KDOC staff about the data received.
New Insights Gleaned:
• Health experts in Kansas predict that the coronavirus will peak in mid to late April.
• Sedgwick County Courts have reduced functions amidst the pandemic. The district attorney’s office is working with law enforcement to reduce bail for individuals who are awaiting trial, expedite probation hearings for individuals likely to be released when their case comes before a judge, and identify people in jails with low-level offenses who may be released without jeopardizing public safety.
• Supervisory Crime Analyst (WPD) has left his position with the WPD. Sergeant (Homeless Outreach Team [HOT], WPD) will take his place to assist Captain with project coordination.
Research - Monthly Log:
• 3/18: Reviewed KDOC parole data to try to match annual report numbers.
• 3/27: Created document comparing KDOC report numbers for parole to analysis of parole data files, to share with KDOC.
Please respond to the Performance Metrics below. The Performance Metrics questions are based on the TTA Type indicated in the General Information section of the TTA.
Please submit a signed letter of support from your agency’s executive or other senior staff member. The letter can be emailed to or uploaded with this request. The letter should be submitted on official letterhead and include the following information:
- General information regarding the request for TTA services, i.e., the who, what, where, when, and why.
- The organizational and/or community needs specific to the request for TTA services.
- The benefits or anticipated outcomes from the receipt of TTA services.
By submitting this application to BJA NTTAC, I understand that upon approval of this application for TTA, the requestor agrees to keep BJA NTTAC informed of any circumstances that may impact the delivery of the TTA, including changes in the date of the event, event cancellation, or difficulties communicating with the assigned TTA provider.
Please call [site:phone] if you need further assistance completing this application.