Stockton correctional facility could see expansion in future
Hays Daily News, May 12, 2007,  By STACIE SANDALL

STOCKTON — It’s been a long time coming, but legislation finally has passed that frees up $39.5 million in bonding authority to spend on additions to state correctional facilities. Among them, Stockton Correctional Facility potentially could build a 72-bed expansion that would help alleviate inmate overflow and add jobs to the area.

According to Secretary of Corrections Roger Werholtz, the Kansas Department of Corrections can draw upon that bonding authority as needed with approval of the State Finance Council.  “As the inmate population demands would indicate that we need to begin construction, we can go to the finance council to get their concurrence to start building,” Werholtz said.  “There have been times where we’ve housed inmates out of state on a temporary basis. I’m hoping we can avoid ever having to do that in the foreseeable future.”

El Dorado is signed up for a 256-bed addition, Yates Center wants a 240-bed addition, and 100 beds potentially will be added to the facility in Ellsworth.  The state inmate population is at 8,800, Werholtz said, with an overall capacity of 9,349. Stockton’s existing facility can hold 120 inmates.

The Stockton addition is estimated at $4.4 million for construction, $338,000 for furnishings and other startup costs, and $840,000 per year to operate.  Werholtz said the function of those 72 beds still is being determined. There is talk about adding a substance-abuse treatment program to the facility, which also may use some of the beds for patients going through skills training.

The new addition would create between 10 and 15 jobs, said Roger Hrabe, Rooks County Economic Development director. Most of the employment opportunities will be in security, while others will be anything from food service to clerical.

For now, Werholtz said, the corrections department is in a holding pattern.  “We are simply waiting for the population to grow to the point where we would need to bring those beds online,” he said, though he added no one can say with any degree of certainty when that might be.

In the interim, housing issues are being addressed to accommodate new employment for the potential facility and the new hospital.  “The city is ready,” said City Manager Connie Conyac. “We have made all kinds of maintenance and repairs in getting ready should this expansion come our way.”  One of those preparations was the creation of a public building commission, which was organized to show the state that the Stockton was willing to form a partnership, Conyac said.

Reporter Stacie Sandall can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 136, or by e-mail at

ssandall@dailynews.net.