Sen. Dwayne Umbarger and State Rep. Richard Proehl are trying to set up a meeting with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in the near future to discuss the future of the Labette County Correctional Conservation Camps located at Oswego.
The two lawmakers told a group of local and area community leaders last Thursday that the fight to keep the women’s camp would be difficult at best. The women’s portion of the LCCC is set for closing by the Kansas Department of Corrections on Dec. 31.
“The legislature won’t convene until a full week after the closing of the women’s camp,” said Umbarger. “I will make a call to see if we can take a group of local citizens to Topeka to meet with the governor and the secretary of corrections.”
The Oswego Economic Development Committee called Thursday’s meeting which included city, county, school, community college, church and chamber of commerce leaders from several area towns.
Umbarger expressed concern that Oswego would not only lose its women’s camp but that the men’s camp also could close in early 2009.
“It is my understanding that the men’s camp could close as early as March,” Umbarger said.
Tom Bringle, who serves as mayor of Oswego and administrator of the correctional camps, said he fully expects to receive official notification about the men’s camp closing shortly after Jan. 1. “It requires a six-month notice,” he said, “so that would take it to July.”
While several community leaders spoke impassionately about the camps and their impact upon the local economy, their greatest points of emphasis were the positive ways the camps have impacted those who have gone through the program as inmates.
While Umbarger remained strong in his support for the camps, he said current state finances were at a crisis level. “Cuts are being made in all areas except for K-12 schools,” he said. “The Kansas Department of Corrections has already made significant reductions in their overall budget that includes three other prison facilities. So getting anyone in the KDOC to change their minds will be difficult, at best.”
Umbarger, Proehl and Bringle said their greatest hope at this point is to get a “stay” for the women’s camp to remain open until its contract runs out. “This would give us a few months to get organized and talk to some people in Topeka,” said Umbarger. “But this thing happened at the wrong time — right before the holidays when nobody is in Topeka, and a month before the start of the 2009 legislative session.”
Lonie Addis, chairman of the Labette County Commission, said he will fight to keep the camp “until there is no fight left in me.” Addis has been a commissioner during all the years the camp has been in operation.
Blair said the OEDC will work with Umbarger and Proehl in an effort to set up a meeting with the governor and secretary of corrections.
The potential loss of 62 jobs is at stake if both the men’s and women’s camps are closed.
