Sedgwick County has appointed long-time employee Steven Stonehouse as the new director for the county’s Department of Corrections.
Stonehouse has served with the department for 24 years and has been a deputy director since 2013. He also worked as a supervision officer and as the administrator of juvenile field services.
At a news conference Thursday, Stonehouse said staffing will be one of the key challenges to make sure the department can provide needed services. He says county commissioners has approved a pay raise for critical staff members, and that will be vital in recruiting and retaining employees.
Stonehouse said he will be working to implement the recommendations made by a community task force after last fall’s death of 17-year-old Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center. He said a contract has been approved for a new medical services provider at the center, and work is underway to expand mental health services. He is also working to secure the staff needed to reopen the juvenile residential facility, which had to close in May because of staffing problems. The facility provides an alternative to detention, and it also provides an emergency shelter for children in foster care.
