75-52,112. Community correction grants; goals; county priority; proposal requirements; implementation timelines; evaluation, continued funding; secretary's report. (a) As used in this section, "supervision success rate" means the percentage of those persons under supervision in a community corrections program whose supervision is not revoked and remanded to the custody of the department of corrections for imprisonment.

(b) On and after July 1, 2011, subject to the provision of appropriation acts, the secretary of corrections shall develop and implement a grant program with the goal of increasing public safety, reducing the risk of offenders on community supervision and achieving and maintaining a supervision success rate of at least 75% or improving such rate by at least 3% from the previous year.

(c) Any county or counties operating community correctional services may apply for the grant. The program shall give priority to a county or counties in which the supervision success rate for offenders on community supervision is significantly lower than the statewide average, which target a higher supervision success rate than the required supervision success rate of 75% or 3% annual supervision success rate improvement or which target the successful reentry of offenders who are considered medium or high risk for revocation.

(d) The secretary shall adopt grant requirements in accordance with this section. Proposals for grants under this program shall include, but not be limited to, provisions to:

(1) Target offenders at medium and high risk for revocation utilizing risk assessment instruments approved by the secretary;

(2) reduce and specialize caseloads for community corrections officers;

(3) provide the offenders with the needed supervision and services to improve such offenders' opportunity to successfully complete community correctional services programs, resulting in a reduction in revocations to prison. Such services may include, but not be limited to, employment training and placement, educational assistance, transportation and housing. Such services shall be evidence-based and address offenders' criminogenic risks, needs and responsivity characteristics;

(4) use an intermediate sanctions community supervision model;

(5) provide staff training and skill development for community corrections officers in risk reduction and intervention. Such training and development shall be approved and certified by the secretary;

(6) utilize treatment options, including substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and cognitive and behavioral programs for offenders. For identified need areas, approved assessment and evaluation instruments should be utilized to ensure offender placement into appropriate levels of treatment and intervention;

(7) use gang intervention strategies;

(8) address safety concerns of the community;

(9) implement a method of tracking and reporting revocations;

(10) establish a goal of reducing the number of offenders, by a specified percentage, whose supervision is revoked and the offender sentenced to prison by providing a plan to: (A) Achieve and maintain a supervision success rate of at least 75% or improve such rate by at least 3% from the previous year; or (B) target the successful reentry of offenders who are considered medium or high risk for revocation;

(11) develop a specific accountability system for monitoring, tracking and utilizing the grant funds and to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant funds; and

(12) develop a consistent set of policies that will guide judges and community corrections officers in the supervision and revocation of offenders on community corrections supervision.

(e) The department of corrections shall establish a date for achieving goals based upon implementation timelines and goals specific to each grant, which may include an overall reduction or a reduction for a specifically targeted population.

(f) The department of corrections shall evaluate the programs which received a grant using a research-based process evaluation targeting the critical components of effective programs to ensure that the program is being delivered as such program was designed. Continued funding shall be contingent on the program meeting the established goals.

(g) The secretary shall prepare a report which states the number of programs receiving grants pursuant to this section, specifically identifying each program, summarizing the provisions of each program and the success of the program in reducing revocations. Such report shall be delivered to the governor, the secretary of the senate, the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the Kansas reentry policy council on or before the first day of the regular legislative session each year in which the grant program is funded.

History: L. 2007, ch. 197, § 1; L. 2011, ch. 100, § 15; July 1.