TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The fate of a financially troubled ranch for juvenile boys in Sedgwick County might not be sealed after all.
Just days after it appeared the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch would have to close in June, Sedgwick County lawmakers got a glimmer of hope Thursday when the Kansas House approved an amendment to a juvenile justice system bill.
The Wichita Eagle reports the amendment would require the Department of Corrections to collect data on successful corrections programs for juveniles. The department also would do a cost study to determine what the state should pay for juvenile offender programs.
Sedgwick County has told the state it needs a higher reimbursement rate to continue to operate the ranch, which they say has a good record of helping juveniles avoid further criminal problems.
