ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
The Kansas 26th Judicial District’s Juvenile Corrections and Prevention Services (JCAPS) is looking to intercede with youth displaying at-risk behaviors that could lead to criminal behavior prior to entering the juvenile justice system.
The Seward County Commission took a step in that direction Tuesday by unanimously approving JCAPS Director Chelsea Droste’s request to pursue funding opportunities for the Right Path program for early intervention.
Droste said the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) recently partnered with agencies and chose seven counties, including Seward County, to pilot the program Right Path is derived from – the Stepping Up for Youth Initiative.
“They already have Stepping Up for Adults,” she said. “They want to take it to the juvenile side.”
Droste said the whole point of the Right Path is to get youth entering the juvenile justice system in touch with services they may or may not.
“In the 26th Judicial District, we have a lot of intercepts once they’ve already entered into the criminal system, but we have zero prior to entering the criminal justice system on the juvenile side,” she said.
With approval from KDOC, Droste said JCAPS has decided to take the Stepping Up for Youth to reach youth with early intervention.
“This whole program is aimed to target at risk behaviors of youth from ages 8 to 17 who have not yet onset into criminal behaviors, but may onset into criminal behavior,” she said. “That way, we can do our early intercept and redirect their behavior hopefully so they never enter the juvenile justice system, and if they never enter the juvenile justice system, hopefully that means they will not enter in the adult criminal system either.”
Overall, Droste said within a few years a reduction could be seen across the board from both the juvenile and adult side.
“That is the hope of this program,” she said.
Droste said JCAPS has been working with multiple local agencies, including the Liberal Police Department, Seward County Sheriff’s office, Cimarron Basin Community Corrections, St. Francis, the Kansas Department of Children and Families, Liberal Public Schools and Grace Place Pregnancy Care Center to establish this program.
“My current funding under the comprehensive grant does not allow us to fund anything for youth unless they’ve entered into the juvenile justice system,” she said. “We are asking for me to be able to pursue additional grants outside the comprehensive grants so we can fund this program and get early intervention introduced into the 26th Judicial District.”
Tuesday’s item did not call for signatures, but merely approving Droste’s request to pursue funding for Right Path.
“I’m wanting to be transparent with the public and with the commission on what we are trying to do for the community,” she said. “We are wanting to look for outsource funding.”
Commission Chairman Steve Helm said programs such as the Right Path are quite helpful.
“Anything we can do to help kids from getting into trouble is money well spent,” he said. “If we can somehow prevent that, it’s going to help society.”
Earlier in the meeting, former Seward County Emergency Management Director Greg Standard was awarded the Kansas Emergency Management Association’s Life Member Award.
“This award honors a regular member who has significantly contributed to the association’s goal over many years,” Administrator April Warden said. “The criteria to receive the award is given to a regular member with long-term significant contributions to KEMA. The recipient must be nominated by five KEMA members in good standing. The recipient is then chosen by the KEMA board and awards chair.”
