Kansas Streamlines Case Management Statewide
Organization Profile
- Population: 2.9 million
- Department Spotlight: Kansas Office of Judicial Administration
- TEA Award Category: Performance & Innovation
The heartland of the United States, Kansas, known for its vast plains and rich agricultural heritage, is also home to an inspiring story of innovation, determination, and transformation within its judicial system.
In Kansas, the Office of Judicial Administration embarked on a pioneering journey to use technology to overcome constraints imposed by its traditional client management systems. By expanding a probation module to cover a wider range of client management needs, Kansas achieved a level of flexibility that permits handling different case types — criminal, domestic, and child in need of care (CINC) cases — using one system. This robust approach enables court services officers to better provide comprehensive support and supervision.
The success of its adaptive, tech-centered approach earned Kansas a 2024 Tyler Excellence Award for Performance & Innovation. It also highlights Kansas’ dedication to improving the operational efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of its judicial administration, and demonstrates the vital role effective supervision plays in bettering outcomes.
The Challenge
The Kansas Office of Judicial Administration faced challenges with its previous case management system used across 104 counties in 30 judicial districts. Only one Kansas county — Johnson County — has been on a separate case management system, but it will transition in November 2024.
Initially, this decentralized case management meant that jurisdictions had their own processes, and each county established its own case-handling procedures. Amy Raymond, chief of trial court services, said this resulted in inconsistencies and limited the Kansas court system’s ability to deliver service uniformly.
“Essentially, we had a hundred and five ways of doing things,” Raymond said. "A primary goal implementing this new case management system was to get our arms around all the processes and create consistent statewide practices to improve how our court services officers serve the public and enhance our client-user experience."
The old, siloed approach to case management prevented court services officers from viewing individuals and their interactions with the justice system holistically, which had a particular effect on family cases spread across multiple jurisdictions. The lack of a robust case management system also forced court services officers to adopt manual processes for data handling and reporting, which was both time-consuming and prone to errors.
Stephanie Smith, judicial administrator, reflected on this challenge by saying, “we were manually counting our statistics and reviewing cases coming in and out every month." This labor-intensive approach was inefficient, and it prevented Kansas courts from achieving its potential for service excellence.
Implementation
Kansas sought to implement an advanced case management system that integrates all aspects of an individual or family's interactions with the justice system statewide. This implementation strategy encouraged collaboration at all levels, leading to a broad range of program improvements.
Spence Koehn, court services specialist, said the vision for a unified case management system was ambitious, as it sought to not only solve existing issues, but to reimagine judicial administration in Kansas. "We saw an opportunity to enhance programs currently in progress and to also launch new ones," Koehn said.
What helped was the investment Koehn and others made to fully understand and document details that defined the implementation journey. "We really began with having a lot of internal meetings, extensive meetings, to discuss the processes we have statewide,” Koehn said. “We sat in court hearings to understand what judges were doing with our officers. We sat with our officers to understand how they were doing their work.”
With those details, they began meeting with Tyler Technologies to figure out where to store information within in the system to best serve court services officers.
Results
The results of these efforts were profound, steering the Kansas judicial system into a new era. Adapting technology reduced the need for duplicated case efforts involving multiple parties or case types, which significantly enhanced operational efficiency.
Smith said data reporting through Enterprise Supervision allows Kansas courts to more easily gather different data points, "With easier access to data, it will help drive our decisions in the future." The transition to a centralized system not only enhanced operational efficiency, it also has paved the way for data-driven decision-making, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.
Raymond added that establishing data and process standards improved information accuracy within the system and ensures consistent reporting practices across the board, “We have data in real-time, which is not what we've had in the past."
This breakthrough significantly reduced the time and resources required for administrative tasks, providing court staff with the tools they need to focus on their essential work: serving the public.
The Future
Looking ahead, the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration emphasizes its commitment to continuous improvement and future advancements. The successful implementation of the new tool marks only the beginning.
Smith envisions a future where legislative processes are informed by comprehensive, real-time data, supporting more effective governance. "Improved data reporting helps with things such as legislation in Kansas and how we work with clients throughout the state,” Smith said.
The Kansas Office of Judicial Administration's journey is a vivid illustration of what is possible when a holistic vision aligns with determination. It also stands as a testament to the transformative power of supervision technology when applied with purpose and collaboration.
As Kansas navigates future complexities, its judicial system remains a beacon of progress, a source of inspiration for others, and a reminder of the enduring commitment to the principles of justice.
Conclusion
The transformation orchestrated by the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration represents a significant leap forward in technology use to enhance judicial administration. Effective supervision tools were pivotal in this context, ensuring that technological and procedural enhancements are implemented uniformly to sustain statewide improvements in outcomes. By overcoming fragmentation, streamlining processes, and viewing the justice system through a single lens, Kansas has reached a pinnacle that could inspire similar reforms in other jurisdictions nationwide.