If an inmate violates a rule, a staff member writes a DR or issues a summary judgment citation.

The inmate may enter a plea of not guilty, guilty or no contest when the report is served to him/her. Each inmate also is entitled to:

• receive advance written notice of the charge and a fair hearing by an impartial hearing officer;
• be present at the hearing;
• present documentary evidence;
• testify on the inmate's own behalf;
• have witnesses, subject to considerations of facility safety and security.
• confront and cross-examine witnesses against the inmate; and
• be furnished with staff assistance according to K.A.R. 44-13-408.

Disciplinary proceedings are conducted in a similar manner to how municipal court cases in your own community are conducted. If found guilty, the inmate’s sentence depends upon the severity of the offense. Disciplinary sentencing is mandated by Kansas regulations and consists of a wide range of consequences from being placed in disciplinary segregation to receiving a verbal reprimand. 

The inmate also is permitted to appeal Class I and Class II convictions to the Secretary of Corrections’ designee whose decision is final. 

The disciplinary process is explained in the Inmate Rule Book which is given to every inmate during the intake process. Inmates are strongly urged to read the book because rule infractions may adversely affect their incarceration and good time, if eligible. More information is available in KAR 44-13-101 and  IMPP 11-119 Decision Making: Documentation of the Disciplinary Process.

How does an inmate address grievances?
Before utilizing the grievance procedure, the inmate should try to reach an informal resolution with staff who work with the inmate on a direct or daily basis. Inmate request forms should be used to document this process. If this informal resolution attempt fails, the first level of the grievance system may then be used. If an emergency exists and a resolution could not be obtained by going to the unit team, the inmate may go directly to the grievance process. The grievance procedure incorporates several levels of problem solving to ensure solution at the lowest administrative level possible before moving to the next step:

• Level 1: The inmate submits a grievance report form to an unit team member.
• Level 2: If not resolved, the inmate submits the grievance report form to the Warden
• Level 3: If not resolved, the inmate submits the grievance report form to the Secretary of Corrections.

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Crime victims/survivors often want to know about an offender's behavior while in prison. When an inmate breaks a rule in a correctional facility, a disciplinary report can be made. There are three classes of offenses and penalities:

Class I offenses - these are very serious in nature and may include crimes that would be considered felonies in Kansas and the United States. Threatening or intimidating any person, fighting and disobeying orders are examples of a Class I offense.

The penalty for a Class I offense may include any, all or any combination of the following:

• Disciplinary segregation, not to exceed 45 days;
• loss of "good time credits," not to exceed six months;
• extra work for up to two hours per day, not to exceed 30 days;
• restriction to inmate's own cell, not to exceed a period of 10 days;
• restriction from privileges, not to exceed 60 days;
• a fine not to exceed $20.00;
• restitution; or
• an oral or written reprimand.

 Class II offenses - these are of moderate seriousness and include crimes that would be considered misdemeanors in Kansas and the United States. Gambling, Insubordination and Disrespect are examples of Class II offenses.

The penalty for a Class II offese may include any, all or any combination of the following:

• Disciplinary segregation, not to exceed 15 days;
• loss of "good time credits," not to exceed three months;
• extra work for up to two hours per day, not to exceed 20 days;
• restriction to inmate's own cell, not to exceed a period of seven days;
• restriction from privileges, not to exceed 30 days;
• a fine, not to exceed $15.00;
• restitution; or
• an oral or written reprimand.

Class III offenses - these are of a less serious nature. Any violation of any published order from the secretary of corrections or warden that is not designated as a Class I or Class II offense belongs in this category. Unsanitary practices is an example of a Class III offense.

The penalty for a Class III offense may be any, all or any combination of the following: 

• Restriction to inmate's own cell, not to exceed three days;
• restriction from privileges, not to exceed 20 days;
• extra work for up to two hours per day, not to exceed 10 days;
• a fine not to exceed $10.00;
• restitution; or
• an oral or written reprimand.

Recognizing the need for early identification and intervention of youth and families crossing over between the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, the Kansas Department of Corrections – Juvenile Services (KDOC-JS) entered into a contract with Georgetown University’s Center for Youth Justice (CYJ), previously known as the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) to implement the Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM). KDOC-JS has partnered with the Department for Children and Families (DCF) and the Office of Judicial Administration (OJA) on CYPM implementation in two Kansas pilot sites, with goals of expanding the work to other areas of the state.

“In 2010, CJJR developed the Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) to address the unique needs of youth that are at risk of or are fluctuating between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. These youth are commonly referred to as “crossover youth.”

To view the Kansas Department for Children and Families' Crossover Youth information, click here. 

The Crossover Youth Practice Model is a nexus between research and best practices that outlines systemic changes youth serving systems can make to improve their ability to serve youth.

The CYPM has four overarching goals:

• Reduction in the number of youth crossing over and becoming dually-involved;
• Reduction in the number of youth placed in out-of-home care;
• Reduction in the use of congregate care; and
• Reduction in the disproportionate representation of youth of color, particularly in the crossover population”

To learn more about the CYPM, please visit Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at https://cjjr.georgetown.edu/our-work/crossover-youth-practice-model/.

CYPM TOOLKIT

The Toolkit provides an introduction to the Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM). It includes how CYPM was originated, processes for local infrastructure to support cross-system work, how to identify and meet training needs, developing a cross-system case management process, and an over view of how court structure and judicial systems can be involved. The Toolkit is meant to assist counties in Kansas with creating their own version of the CYPM. Information contained in the toolkit is based on facilitated work completed by the Crossover Youth State Policy Team and the counties that have implemented CYPM (i.e., Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Montgomery counties), but is intended to be general enough that any community in Kansas can interpret and enact the stated principles in a manner that best suits the jurisdiction. To access the Toolkit click here.   

KJCC and Foster Care Provider Protocols

State Policy Team

The State Policy team (SPT) is a multi-system and multi-agency collaboration at the state level used to identify and remove barriers and to address obstacles encountered by crossover youth and their families.

State Policy Team Resources 

State Policy Team Upcoming Meetings

The CYPM State Policy Team meets each quarter (January, April, July, October) on the 3rd Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Join the meeting via Zoom link below:

https://kscourts.zoomgov.com/j/1603632275?pwd=0MXZgmdS5uZXBSO8bVJeauhAiY0jj5.1

Meeting ID: 160 363 2275

Passcode: 123

State Policy Team Meeting Summaries

2025 Annual Report, Office of the Child Advocate

OCA.1.21.26 Crossover Youth State Policy Team

SPT Summary 012126

MCO Manager Presentation 012026

CYPM State Policy Team Members