Closing the Winfield Correctional Facility April 1 would be an option considered if the Kansas Legislature proceeds with a recently proposed 3.4 percent across-the-board budget reduction, the state’s corrections chief said.
Corrections Secretary Roger Werholtz outlined a number of possible budget cutting measures in an E-mail letter employees in Winfield received Tuesday. Werholtz did point out that revenue reductions were proposed in the Senate and had only made it out of the Ways and Means Committee, meaning they are far from final.
"However, since you could be personally impacted, I thought it important to inform you that these possible actions have been discussed," he said.
The 3.4 percent cut would apply to all state agencies if the legislation was passed as is.
Shuttering the local prison would displace roughly 180 employees and just under 400 inmates, according to state numbers. The Winfield closing was listed under "possible areas of budget reductions" that also include:
– Closing Norton Correctional Facility
– Advancing the suspension of operations at Stockton Correctional Facility
– Abolishing parole and post-release supervision
– Suspending all treatment and intervention programs
April 1 is listed as the date of effect for all the proposed cuts. Werholtz said any cuts would have to come quickly because a good portion of the fiscal year has already passed.
A 3.4 percent cut would reduce the corrections budget by about $9 million. Werholtz’s memo does not indicate whether some or all of the cuts on the list would be required to meet that proposed reduction.
Employees at the local correctional facility ? who spoke with NewsCow on the condition their names were not used ? said the E-mail caused considerable concern and was discussed among employees after it circulated.
However, all those interviewed viewed the E-mail to be a worst-case scenario proposal.
There appeared to be at least some political posturing in the letter, one employee said, because parole supervision is such a necessary component of the prison system and would be difficult to eliminate. And, the employee said, Winfield is a key part of the prison system because it provides important services ? including a pre-release program ? that are needed in the state.
Employees in Norton and those involved in parole supervision also received Tuesday’s letter.
