Inmates deposit 10 percent of their incoming money less any outstanding obligations into a forced savings account. Use of saved funds is restricted to payment of garnishment, identifications (birth certificate, driver's license, and social security card), civil filing fees, transcript fees, subpoena fees or other Warden-approved uses that facilitate an inmate’s re-entry back in to the community.

All forced savings account funds, plus interest, are returned to the inmate upon release.

For information about sending funds to an inmate, please visit the inmate banking section.

Can I find out how much money an inmate has in his/her account?
No. The KDOC does not share any information (e.g. account balance or how the inmate spent the funds) on an inmate’s trust account. To confirm whether an inmate has received money, you may contact Centralized Inmate Banking at 785-746-7630. You will be asked to supply the date the funds were sent, the method used to send the funds, the amount of funds sent and the sender’s name. 

What happens if an inmate has no money or very little in his account?
Indigent status is defined as an inmate whose inmate bank account, during the previous month, has a cumulative spendable amount of less than $12. Inmates who are indigent will be supplied with essential items including writing supplies, postage and personal hygiene items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable razor (general population inmates only), comb or pick and soap. 

What can inmates do with their money?
Each facility has a canteen, a store through which inmates purchase allowable items. Inmates can purchase postage, snacks, personal products, radios, TVs, other electronic equipment, handicraft materials, shoes and other approved items depending upon an inmate’s incentive level. Inmates also may request disbursements for expenses such as medical co-pays, copies, magazine/newspaper subscriptions and legal fees. Court-ordered or statutorily mandated disbursements such as restitution, child support and room/board costs also can be collected. 

May family or friends provide glasses, shoes or other items?
No. The KDOC’s medical contractor will provide for items that are deemed necessary, such as glasses. 

Can inmates work?
Inmates must work unless they have a medical condition or other approved reason that will not allow for work assignments.

Examples of facility work assignment areas are food service, laundry and custodial work. Other employment possibilities include work release programs, traditional correctional industries, which are operated directly by KDOC staff, and private correctional industries programs where the KDOC enters into agreements with private firms.

Inmates in traditional industries receive incentive pay ranging from $0.25-$0.60 per hour. This compares to a maximum of $1.05 per day that inmates may receive for facility work assignments. Through KDOC partnerships with private industries, inmates earn at least federal minimum wage. Traditional/private industries program inmates pay 25 percent of their gross wages in partial reimbursement for room and board.

In addition to other KDOC administrative fees, inmates pay court-ordered restitution, child support and federal and state taxes. More employment information is available in the FAQ's employment section.

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The Kansas Department of Corrections will not accept any item mailed into a correctional facility other than letters or photographs. Residents may purchase postage only through their facility’s canteen. The Department does not allow a resident to receive stamps. 

Please note that any incoming or outgoing mail other than legal, official or privileged mail may be inspected or read at any time in accordance with KAR 44-12-601. 

Incoming resident mail should be addressed as follows:  

Remember to include the resident’s KDOC registration number with the resident’s full name in the address of the correspondence or the mail will not be delivered. The envelope also must contain the sender’s name and address as well or the letter will not be delivered. 

You may check a resident’s location and status on the Department’s Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER). Facility mailing addresses are available from the facilities index.

For more information about resident mail, please review Kansas Administrative Regulation (K.A.R.) 44-12-601, Resident Writing and Other Resident Communications or Publications. Also, Internal Management Policy and Procedure (IMPP) 12-120 Security and Control: Control of Resident Personal Property provides additional information.

2021 Presentation by KDOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda: Second Chance Hiring

Jeff Zmuda, Kansas Secretary of Corrections, shares his thoughts on the wide-ranging benefits of "second chance hiring." KDOC residents in our correctional facilities provide a skilled, dependable workforce to solve labor shortages, gaining essential skills they need to be successful post-release.

Second Change Hiring, 2021, presentation by Secretary of Corrections Jeff Zmuda

January 2021 KDOC Program Evaluation Results

In January 2021 an evaluation of the Kansas Correctional Industries (KCI) and KDOC's Private Industry Program was completed by Eric J. Lichtenberger, Ph.D. The study explored the impact on post-release employment and recidivism.

An Evaluation of Kansas Correctional Industries/Private Industries (KCI/PI) Programs, January 2021

Additional Research and Reports

Findings in a 2008 research conducted by the Urban Institute Justice Policy Center found:

• Eight months after release, only 45 percent of former incarcerated persons were currently employed
• Most relied upon family and friends for income after release
• Those who held jobs while in prison and participated in job training programs while incarcerated had better employment outcomes after release

Citation: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/32106/411778-Employment-after-Prison-A-Longitudinal-Study-of-Releasees-in-Three-States.PDF

Prison Policy Initiative examined rates of unemployment among formerly incarcerated people finding they are almost five times more likely than the general public to be unemployed, and many who are employed remain relegated to the most insecure jobs. 
Citation: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/outofwork.html

Rand Corporation had conducted research on educational needs recognizing that individuals who leave federal and state prisons return to communities where they have to compete with others for jobs. 

“As already noted, according to RAND’s research, inmates who participate in correctional education programs have a 13-percentage-point reduction in their risk of returning to prison; this indicates that every $1 invested in education can reduce future incarceration costs in the near term. More concretely, we estimated that every dollar invested in prison education programs saves taxpayers, on average, between $4 and $5 in three-year reincarceration costs.”
Citation: https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE342.html

Learn more about Correctional Facility Work Programs

The Second Chance Business Coalition promotes the benefits of second change employment and provides employers with resources to hire and provide career advancement to people with criminal records.

• https://secondchancebusinesscoalition.org/
• https://secondchancebusinesscoalition.org/get-started
• https://www.gettingtalentbacktowork.org/

The Prison Post #30 Jeff Korzenik, Author of Untapped Talent https://t.co/KttpH3l0Ne?amp=1

Untapped Talent, Jeff Korzenik https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOm5WTn246GMBIBG1JeJb9w

Second Chance Project — Dave's Killer Bread https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1R2v6Us7MEEWn91Pnd8u9w

Google Small Business Stories: Nehemiah Manufacturing Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-0yWGWcupg

Nehemiah Company Culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxraJmzPlZg  

Koch Industries Editorial  Take a chance on second-chance hiring | Washington Examiner

Hutchinson Correctional Facility's (HCF) recycling efforts have made the correctional facility a leader in implementing innovative environmental initiatives. Since 2010, HCF has diverted more than 1.5 million pounds of solid waste from local landfills. In 2012, the U.S. EPA presented HCF with its WasteWise State Government Partner of the Year Award for its aggressive recycling programs. As the only mattress recycling center in Kansas, the facility has recycled more than 17,000 mattresses, which consisted of 46,000 pounds of foam, 287,000 pounds of steel, 22,000 pounds of wood and 46,000 pounds of cotton. In addition, the facility recycles used resident jeans that are made into quilts and donated to charitable organizations. The residents have made more than 1,085 quilts, which amounts to more than 12,000 pounds of clothing being diverted from a local landfill. Other recycling efforts include the use of recycled ink cartridges, toilet paper and paper towels. 

HCF's Recycling Programs:

• Mattress Recycling Program - South Unit
• Outdoor Furniture made from recycled mattress parts - South Unit
• Dog Beds made from recycled mattress pads - South Unit
• Trash recycling from onsite disposal (plastic bottles, cardboard/paper, etc.) - Central Unit
• Composting from onsite vegetation disposal - Central Unit and East Unit

Overview | Visitor Information | Programs | History | Warden
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Private Industries

Life Skills Enhancement Program

• has two components: academic education and vocational training;
• literacy and the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) programs are provided as well as vocational training programs such as commercial food service and welding; and,
• includes the employability program, which provides guidance on seeking employment, and is provided to all residents enrolled in a program.
 

Therapeutic Community Program

• began in 1996 in the maximum-security unit under direction of the Douglas County Citizens Committee on Alcoholism (DCCCA) of Lawrence;
• the program’s goal is to create a positive peer culture and facilitate overall lifestyle changes;
• each resident in the program is expected to leave the primary treatment program having acquired basic recovery skills;
• residents assigned to this program are in the therapeutic community 24 hours a day; and,
• the resident will remain in the program for 9 - 12 months depending on the needs of each individual resident.
 

Sex Offenders Treatment Program (SOTP) Program

• treatment for the male sex offenders;
• the program is 20 hours per week for 18 months and is contracted through DCCCA of Lawrence;
• the program’s goal is to habilitate offenders toward emotional health and successful transition back into the community; and,
• the program provides psycho-educational classes with group therapy and individual sessions.

Vehicle Maintenance

• a staff of ten resident employees and two staff equipment mechanics oversee the care of more than 100 vehicles, and
• maintenance includes everything from washing the vehicles to major overhauls and body work. Department employees are responsible for a large inventory of parts, supplies, and equipment.
 

Chaplaincy Department

• oversees coordinating resident religious support and coordinating volunteer services;
• religious support is provided to a variety of faith groups which include many Christian denominations, Jewish, Islamic, Moorish Science, Native American, Bhuddist, Asatru, Thelemic and Wiccan faith groups;
• coordinates special holiday events that support LCF residents and their families; and,
• relies on a dedicated group of volunteers to assist in addressing inmate religious and activities needs.

Activities Support

• includes variety of resident activities including individual health and fitness activities, arts and crafts, music groups and resident self-improvement groups, and
• normally led by volunteers from the greater Kansas City area, resident groups meet a diverse array of resident interests and needs, such as Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, African Awareness, El Chicano (Hispanic awareness), Jaycees, Lifer's Club and several other organizations.

Overview | Visitor Information | Programs | Volunteers | History | Warden
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