public

Sex Offender Housing Restrictions

cherylca — 2013-06-21T14:50:00Z

Housing restrictions appear to be based largely on three myths that are repeatedly propagated by the media: 1) all sex offenders reoffend; 2) treatment does not work; and 3) the concept of “stranger danger.” Research does not support these myths, but there is research to suggest that such policies may ultimately be counterproductive. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D.
Research shows that there is no correlation between residency restrictions and reducing sex offenses against children or improving the safety of children. Iowa County Attorneys Association
The resulting damage to the reliability of the sex offender registry does not serve the interests of public safety. Iowa County Attorneys Association
There is no demonstrated protective effect of the residency requirement that justifies the huge draining of scarce law enforcement resources in the effort to enforce the restriction. Iowa County Attorneys Association
Many prosecutors have observed that the numerous negative consequences of the lifetime residency restriction has caused a reduction in the number of confessions made by offenders in cases where defendants usually confess after disclosure of the offense by the child. In addition, there are more refusals by defendants charged with sex offenses to enter plea agreements. Plea agreements are necessary in many cases involving child victims in order to protect the children from trauma of the trial process. Iowa County Attorneys Association
Recommendation 1: Shared Living Arrangements appear to be a frequently successful mode of containment and treatment for higher risk sex offenders and should be considered a viable living situation for higher risk sex offenders in the community…. Recommendation 2: Placing restrictions on the location of correctionally supervised sex offender residences may not deter the sex offender from re-offending and should not be considered as a method to control sexual offending recidivism. Report on Safety Issues Raised by Living Arrangements for and Location of Sex Offenders in the Community; Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal justice, Sex Offender Management Board
....the number of sex offenders who are unaccounted for has doubled since the law went into effect. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
There is no accommodation in the current statute for persons on parole or probation supervision. These offenders are already monitored and their living arrangements approved. Iowa County Attorneys Association
[This policy] is contrary to well-established principles of treatment and rehabilitation of sex offenders….These goals are severely impaired by the residency restriction, compromising the safety of children by obstructing the use of the best known corrections practice. Iowa County Attorneys Association
The sex offender residency restriction was a very well intentioned effort to keep the children of our communities safe from sex offenders. It has, however, had unintended consequences that effectively decrease community safety. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
….some offenders are attempting to comply by providing descriptions of where they are actually living….”under the 7^th street bridge,” “truck near river,” “rest area mile marker 149,” “Flying J, in truck,” “in tent, S side of I-80,” “RV in old K-Mart parking lot,” “I-35 rest area,”….Two listed Quick Trips…. For the first time, sex offender treatment providers tell us, sex offenders are absconding in larger numbers. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
When a brutal sexually violent crime occurs, such as the one that occurred in Iowa last year, our societal tendency is to focus all our resources and energy on stopping offenders. The long-term solutions to eradicating sexual violence from our society, however, do not lie in measures taken to stop re-offense, but rather in preventing sexual violence from happening in the first place. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
… the Board of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault joined the Iowa County Attorneys Association in stating that these unintended consequences warrant replacing the residency restriction with more effective measures. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Housing restrictions have passed in most localities with little resistance. Child safety is rightly the primary concern when sex offender restrictions are imposed. It seems to make sense that decreasing access to potential victims would be a feasible strategy to preventing sex crimes. There is no evidence, however, that such laws are effective in reducing recidivistic sexual violence. On the other hand, such laws aggravate the scarcity of housing options for sex offenders, forcing them out of metropolitan areas and farther away from the social support, employment opportunities and social services that are known to aid offenders in successful community re-entry. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D.
Despite overwhelming public and political support, there is no evidence that proximity to schools increases recidivism, or, conversely, that housing restrictions reduce reoffending or increase community safety. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D.
Based on the examination of level three re-offenders, there were no examples that residential proximity to a park or school was a contributing factor in any of the sexual re-offenses noted… Enhanced safety due to proximity restrictions may be a comfort factor for the general public, but it does not have any basis in fact…it appears that a sex offender attracted to such locations for purposes of committing a crime is more likely to travel to another neighborhood on order to in secret rather than in a neighborhood where his or her picture is well known. Level Three Sex Offenders Residential Placement Issues, 2003 Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Having such restrictions in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul would likely force level three offenders to move to more rural areas that would not contain nearby schools and parks but would pose other problems, such as high concentration of offenders with no ties to the community; isolation; lack of work, education and treatment options; and an increase in the distance traveled by agents who supervise offenders. Again, no evidence points to any effect on offense rates of school proximity residential restrictions. Level Three Sex Offenders Residential Placement Issues, 2003 Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Since blanket proximity restrictions on residential locations of level three offenders do not enhance community safety, the current offender-by-offender restrictions should be retained. Proximity restrictions, based on circumstances on an individual offender, serve as a valuable supervision tool…Most of these supervision proximity restrictions address the issue of the offender associating or interacting with children or minors, rather than where the offender resides. Level Three Sex Offenders Residential Placement Issues, 2003 Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Corrections
A significant number of offenders have married or have been reunited with their victims; and, in those cases, the residency restriction is imposed on the victims as well as the offenders. Iowa County Attorneys Association…
A tight web of supervision, treatment and surveillance may be more important in maintaining community safety than where a sex offender resides. Report on Safety Issues Raised by Living Arrangements for and Location of Sex Offenders in the Community; Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal justice, Sex Offender Management Board.

September

cherylca — 2017-12-06T16:03:53Z

Senate 2 11 2015

cherylca — 2015-02-12T19:28:54Z

Overview of the Kansas Department of Corrections to Senate Ways & Means Subcommittee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice (Secretary Ray Roberts, February 11, 2015)

Senate 1 23 2014

cherylca — 2014-01-23T20:47:00Z

Overview of the Kansas Department of Corrections to:Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs: Presented by Secretary Ray Roberts (January 23, 2014)

Senate 1 14 2015

cherylca — 2015-01-14T17:05:00Z

Overview of the Kansas Department of Corrections to House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice

SB504

cherylca — 2016-03-25T19:30:39Z

March 14, 2016

Sally Frey

cherylca — 2013-06-03T21:31:02Z

Southern Parole Region Director

Safety Planning

cherylca — 2012-02-29T19:50:00Z

Our liaisons can assist with needs concerning:

Unwanted contact
Preparing for an inmate's release from prison
Wrap-around safety planning
Assistance if you are the victim of an offender who is on community supervision
Referrals to Community Advocacy Centers
General questions about the criminal justice system

Office of Victim Services staff provide services throughout the state and are located in the El Dorado Correctional Facility, Lansing Correctional Facility, Hutchinson Correctional Facility, the Topeka Parole Office and the Wichita Parole Office. To be connected with the liaison best suited to help you with your current needs, please call our toll-free line (866) 404-6732 or e-mail.

For additional information, you may view our brochure , also available (En Espanol).

Reentry

cherylca — 2013-12-30T17:45:00Z

HCF provides reentry planning and training in the following areas:

Money Smart
Parole Interactions
Pre-Employment
Relapse Prevention
Resource Rooms
Tenant Responsibilities
Thinking for a Change
Veterans Benefits

Overview | Visitor Information | Programs | History | Warden
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Reducing Recidivism for Youth in the Juvenile Services Division of the Kansas Department of Corrections: Analyses and Recommendations

cherylca — 2015-03-06T22:15:00Z

Presentation to the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee (The Council of State Governments, March 4, 2015)

Public Comments Form - Support Release

adamp — 2014-10-03T19:59:56Z

Public Comments Form - Oppose Release

adamp — 2014-10-03T19:59:56Z

Public Comment Sessions

Nancy Burghart — 2007-03-14T13:30:00Z

Each month, the Prisoner Review Board offers multiple forums through which the general public, public officials, victims, and family or friends of an offender can comment either in support or opposition of parole suitability one month prior to an offender’s parole hearing.

Public Comment Session Survey 2018

Kristin Finlay — 2018-09-26T13:18:25Z

You have received this survey because Victim Services records indicate that you attended a Public Comment Session to provide a statement to the Prisoner Review Board about the possible parole of a KDOC inmate. The session you attended was held in Derby, Kansas City or Topeka. This survey only focuses on interactions with KDOC Office of Victim Services, before, during and after the Public Comment Session. This survey is specifically asking about services from the Office of Victim Services, not the other KDOC staff or the Kansas Prisoner Review Board. If you have any questions about the services or need help completing the survey, please contact us at 866-404-6732.

Public Comment Session Advocacy

Nancy Burghart — 2012-02-29T19:50:00Z

Public Comment Sessions offer victims and survivors an opportunity to speak with the paroling authority prior to an inmate's parole suitability hearing. The Office of Victim Services has advocates at each of the three public comment sessions offered monthly to assist individuals through this process. The dates, times and locations of the public comment sessions will be provided to victims by the Kansas Department of Corrections. If you prefer to submit a written statement, you may do so using this form or online. The Prisoner Review Board can also be contacted via telephone for verbal comment submission at: (785) 296-3469. Our staff can assist during this process with:

Registration to speak at the Public Comment Session
Support before/during/after a Public Comment Session
Coaching on how to provide an effective statement
Advocacy for requesting special conditions if parole is granted
Assistance in preparing for a possible release

The Office of Victim Services offers mileage reimbursement for victims/survivors who are traveling 20 or more miles to/from a Public Comment Session from anywhere within the state of Kansas or from any bordering state or airfare in lieu of mileage for longer distances. For more information about our mileage reimbursement program, you may call (785) 296-3333 or click here.