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 August, CSG Justice Center staff spent time understanding law enforcement interactions with people on parole, potential drivers of violent crime that contribute to public safety and recidivism, and resources for people on parole. This included various conversations with specialized law enforcement units responsible for enforcement and outreach, victim service organizations, and conversations with stakeholders who oversee and provide batterer intervention programming (BIP) for people who commit domestic violence. These conversations revealed various innovative approaches and collaborative efforts that leadership in Wichita have implemented to address challenges, but also revealed various barriers to successful reintegration of people on parole and areas for improvement. CSG Justice staff also spent time this month speaking with KDOC and WPD about city-level data that is collected and shared between agencies to understand the arrest rates and types of arrests for people on parole in Wichita, as well as the extent to which the parole population in Wichita is impacting public safety.
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 August, CSG Justice Center staff spoke with the WPD Homeless Outreach Team and with StepStone Kansas—a long-term transitional housing and support program for victims of domestic violence—to understand housing options for people on parole in Wichita, the local landscape of available housing, and general barriers to accessing housing. The conversations revealed various challenges related to the amount of affordable housing in Kansas, as well as challenges related to accessing housing for people with criminal histories. CSG Justice Center staff also engaged officers from WPD’s Broadway Corridor team, who are responsible for enforcement in Wichita’s Broadway Corridor, but also for outreach and connection to services for people living on the Broadway Corridor.
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• 8/4: Call with Captain and 2 analysts to understand WPD arrest data and how this information is currently shared with KDOC in order to understand arrests of people who are on parole in Wichita.
• 8/4: Meeting with KDOC and Kansas Attorney General’s Office (Victim Services Division) to understand BIP statewide standards and BIP currently provided in Wichita.
• 8/12: Meeting with the WPD Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) to understand housing and shelter resources available to people on parole who are experiencing homelessness.
• 8/12: Meeting with KDOC to discuss focus groups with parole officers in Wichita and people on parole supervision in Wichita.
• 8/13: Meeting with Wichita Family Crisis Center to discuss the victim services landscape for domestic violence survivors in Wichita and victim services coordination with law enforcement and BIP providers.
• 8/17: Meeting with Executive Director and Director of Programs from StepStone Kansas, a transitional housing and support program for victims of domestic violence, to understand housing options for victims of domestic violence in Wichita and victim services coordination with law enforcement and BIP providers.
• 8/19: Meeting with the Wichita Integrated Care Team (ICT1)—a multidisciplinary team composed of members from WPD, the Wichita Fire Department, Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Service, and COMCARE—to understand coordinated resources for people in mental health and/or substance use crises.
• 8/21: Meeting with the WPD Broadway Corridor Team to discuss the various risks and needs of people on parole in Wichita’s Broadway Corridor.
In August, CSG Justice Center research staff engaged WPD and KDOC to understand key data collected about people on parole, understand how this data is shared between agencies, and explore ways to increase collaborative data-sharing practices.
New Insights Gleaned:
• In 2013, victim service, law enforcement, and criminal justice agencies created The Wichita/Sedgwick County Community Coordinated Response Team (CCR) to provide an opportunity for collaboration across victim service, law enforcement, and supervision stakeholders. The CCR conducted a community-wide safety assessment in 2018 to understand victimization and challenges related to violence in Wichita and Sedgwick County.
• 8/4: Call with Wichita Police Department to discuss if/how specific elements related to domestic violence and parole status are tracked by the department.
• 8/7: Drafted request for summary-level data from Wichita Police Department.
• 8/10: Drafted request for summary-level data on parole activity in Wichita from Kansas Department of Corrections.
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