Project STAR: Success Through Achieving Reintegration

The Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority will develop a seamless evidence-based system throughout the entire length of supervision for the juvenile by addressing common short-comings within the current system. The main problem areas within the Kansas Juvenile Justice System regarding reentry include: 1) lack of effective evidence-based programming for high risk youths in the Juvenile Correctional Facilities and the communities; 2) lack of frequent and meaningful contact with supervision officers within the community while the juvenile is incarcerated and once the juvenile is released; 3) lack of services and contact with the juveniles families that promote family reunification; and 4) lack of effective reintegration practices such as poor reintegration planning, poor communication among staff, and poor development of community-based resources to aid in the successful reentry of the juvenile. To address these problems, this project will implement evidence-based programming and effective reentry techniques modeled after the Intensive Aftercare Program by using a graduated level of transition from the Juvenile Correctional Facility to the community.

Program goals are as follows: reduce recidivism and enhance public safety; increase the quality of programming within the Juvenile Correctional Facilities, the Community Reintegration Facility, and the communities; develop and enhance services that promote healthy family units for the juveniles leaving the correctional facilities; promote successful reintegration from the juvenile correctional facility to the community; reduce the supervision levels of the juveniles who have demonstrated success through behavior; and ensure program sustainability within the local treatment judicial districts and throughout the state.
CA/NCF