Criminal Justice Coordinator discusses competency restoration program, other initiatives in Sheriff's Office podcast

Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinator Katy Fitzgerald touted the county’s local competency restoration program, work with community mental health providers to improve assessments for clients on probation and planning with the Justice Management Institute as recent highlights for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. 

Fitzgerald discussed her work on the second episode of the View from 100 podcast hosted by Sheriff Jay Armbrister. The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, known as the CJCC, was established by the Board of County Commissioners in 2016. The Sheriff’s Office has been involved in the CJCC since its inception, and Armbrister serves as a CJCC member.  

Douglas County hired Fitzgerald in July 2022 as Criminal Justice Coordinator, coming from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.  

In 2024, the Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County District Court and community mental health providers, began a local process for evaluating mental competency of defendants and offering outpatient treatment for restoration. The process was the first to begin at the county level in Kansas. It was aimed at helping address the statewide backlog that has delayed numerous criminal cases in recent years due to the shortage of bed space at Larned and Osawatomie state hospitals. 

“As a county, with Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, the courts, the District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, we've all come together to try to see if we can get that system to happen in our jail, instead of having to wait for a bed to open up,” Armbrister said on the podcast. “Hopefully this will keep these people from decompensating and just languishing for those 12 to 14 months waiting, and we are all deeply proud of it.” 

Fitzgerald described her role as Criminal Justice Coordinator as someone who acts as a hub for different spokes among leaders in agencies involved in the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, the courts, elected officials, attorneys, mental health and criminal justice service providers and the community. She touted cooperation among agencies and groups that come together in the CJCC. 

“One of the biggest challenges is the issue of trust. We often hear the question, ‘Does the public trust the system?’” Fitzgerald said. “But trust doesn’t stop there. For the partners within the system, they also need to reach a point where they trust one another. That’s where I come in — I’m always on the lookout for ways to help build that trust and identify the barriers. How can I help? Where are the obstacles?”

The View from 100 podcast highlights both the inner workings and external community partnerships of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas. The goal through these long-form conversations with Sheriff Armbrister is to connect with audiences who might not have as much in-depth knowledge of the Sheriff’s Office and other issues related to public safety and criminal justice in the community.

Fitzgerald in the podcast episode also discussed how her background in clinical and community psychology has shaped her work with juveniles and adults in the criminal justice system.