Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City officials have chosen Diana Knapp, a veteran of the criminal justice system, to lead the city’s efforts to improve public safety and help people who are coming back to the community. Knapp will be in charge of both of these efforts.
Knapp will be in charge of a plan that combines traditional correctional management with techniques that focus on public health and the community. City officials say the idea is to modernize how municipal jails work by focusing on more than just holding people accountable. They also want to focus on preventing crime, helping people get well, and helping people get back into society after they get out of jail.
City Manager Mario Vasquez said that Knapp’s long history makes her the best person to head the endeavor.
“Diana brings a valuable understanding of corrections, rehabilitation, and the importance of strong partnerships,” said City Manager Mario Vasquez. “Her leadership will help advance Kansas City’s work to strengthen safety and accountability while connecting people to the resources and support that help stabilize families and neighborhoods.”
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Knapp has worked in the criminal justice profession for more than 30 years. She has worked for municipal, county, and state organizations, where she has managed detention operations, coordinated behavioral health programs, and helped programs that help people rejoin the community.
She was most recently the Director of the Jackson County Department of Corrections. Knapp was in charge of an 800-bed detention center with more than 250 workers and a $33 million annual budget. While she was there, she worked to improve the department’s culture by increasing staff training, making accountability systems better, and putting safety first for both personnel and those in custody.
Earlier in her career, Knapp worked with Kansas City’s BRIDGES program as a program manager. The program’s main goal was to help city jail inmates with mild to severe mental health issues transition back into the community by providing case management services.
She was also in charge of the juvenile detention center at the Jackson County Family Court and the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change. There, she ran residential and reentry programs to help people get back on their feet after being involved with the legal system.
Knapp started working in the area in 1991 as a probation and parole officer in Kansas City. Over the years that followed, she became known for mixing rehabilitation-focused approaches with correctional administration to improve long-term outcomes.
She has an impact on more than just local government. Knapp is now the First Vice President of the American Jail Association’s Board of Directors. In that role, she helps shape national conversations about professional standards, workplace practices, and laws that affect correctional institutions.
She also often educates and talks to people who work in corrections and law enforcement across the country about how to be a better leader and how to improve the culture in detention institutions.
Knapp stated that getting the new job is very important to her. She stressed that her work will focus on making things safer and assisting those in detention get the resources they need to successfully return to their communities.
She has a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia College and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education from Pittsburg State University.
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The American Correctional Association gave her the title of Corrections Executive, the American Jail Association gave her the title of Certified Jail Manager, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care gave her the title of Certified Correctional Health Professional.
Knapp is scheduled to begin her new role with the city on Monday, March 16.
