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Mentoring Adult Offenders in Kansas Mentoring is a key component to reduce recidivism in Kansas.

This community-based statewide initiative delivers mentoring services to help offenders safely and successfully return to communities. Nearly 4,700 offenders leave prison each year and many need help finding employment/housing, getting connected to services/treatment and reuniting safely with neighborhoods/families. Mentors support the work of correctional case workers and service/treatment providers by assisting offenders in reaching their reentry plan goals. Mentors are also instrumental in helping offenders establish a life of pro-social activities and meaningful engagement within their communities.  Our goal is to ensure that every offender leaving prison has the opportunity to work with a mentor. Guided by community service organizations working closely with the Department of Corrections, mentors are trained and matched to offenders six to 12 months prior to an offender's release from prison. Services are also continually monitored and evaluated to ensure the most effective mentoring practices are used.

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Residents are normally adjudicated of offenses that would be considered a felony if committed by an adult and are traditionally the state’s most violent juvenile offenders. Placement is determined by a matrix, which was implemented on July 1, 1999. The matrix was designed to place serious and violent offenders in a juvenile correctional facility and nonviolent offenders in community-based programs.

KJCC also houses the reception and diagnostic unit (RDU) where all male and female offenders enter the juvenile correctional facility system. A 21-day assessment is undertaken operates a 60-bed to determine an appropriate treatment program.

The KJCC facility is divided into an east campus for male residents and a west campus for female residents. The complex is composed of five areas: the diagnostic/classification area, maximum and medium-security housing for male residents, secure female housing in the stand-alone Q/R/S/T building on the east campus, central programs areas and administrative/support areas. All areas are located within a secure perimeter fence, with the exception of administration and some general service areas. The facility is currently funded to operate 235 beds.

Overview | Youth Handbook (Manual Para La Juventud) | Parent Handbook (Manual Para Los Padres) | Juvenile Offender Telephone Information 

Education Services | Other Programs | Medical & Behavioral Health Services | History | Superintendent | Juvenile Correctional Facility Population Data

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• Is smoking allowed by staff and residents?
• Are the resident living units air conditioned?
• Why is a non-maximum custody resident in a maximum-security facility?
• Why are residents allowed to possess electronic equipment (radios, televisions, mp3 players, etc.,)?
• Who provides funding for residents to obtain electronic equipment while in prison?
• How is recreation/leisure time equipment funded for the resident population?
• What is available in the facility canteen for residents to purchase?
• Are residents compensated when assigned to work programs?
• Are resident work details available to perform work for community organizations?
• Are residents financially responsible for housing and services they receive while incarcerated?
• What is an inter-facility transfer?
• What is the interstate compact?
• What is a lockdown?
• What is good time?
• How is an resident's sentence computed and how does good time work?
• What does sex offender management status mean?
• Can a resident sex offender management status be changed?
• Are religious services/programs available to residents?
• Can a resident and I have a wedding ceremony in a correctional facility?
• Can a resident be released to attend a funeral or make a bedside visit?
• What is a functional incapacitation release?
• Are there legal services available to an resident?
• What happens the day of release?

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Is smoking allowed by staff and residents?
No. The KDOC became a tobacco-free environment in March 2003.

Are the resident living units air conditioned?
No. However, residents housed in facilities with or without appropriate circulation or air-handling systems are permitted to have an electric fan in their cell/bunk-area except as required for safety and/or security considerations. Fans are purchased with Inmate Benefit Fund monies for indigent residents. Non-indigent residents may purchase fans through the facility's canteen.

Why is a non-maximum custody resident in a maximum-security facility?

The security designation of a correctional facility is based upon its physical attributes (i.e., architectural, environmental) and, as it relates to residents, the type of physical constraints deemed appropriate for a particular resident. The security designation represents the highest custody resident that the facility may hold. For example, a maximum-security facility is capable of housing minimum-, medium- and maximum-custody residents. A minimum-security facility is capable of housing only minimum-custody residents. 

Why are residents allowed to possess electronic equipment (radios, televisions, mp3 players, etc.,)?
Eligible residents are allowed to possess electronic equipment in an effort to prevent problems due to resident idleness.

Who provides funding for residents to obtain electronic equipment while in prison?
Residents are responsible for providing their own electronic equipment through personal funds derived from assigned work programs or funds sent in from outside sources.

How is recreation/leisure time equipment funded for the resident population?
Equipment is provided through the Inmate Benefit Fund. The majority of the fund is comprised of proceeds from the resident canteen contract and telephone services.

What is available in the facility canteen for residents to purchase?
A facility canteen is a store through which residents are provided an opportunity to purchase allowable items such as for hygiene, snacks or other property items. For a list of available items and the cost of the items, please visit the canteen section.

Are residents compensated when assigned to work programs?
Depending on skill level, residents may earn from $0.45 to $1/05 per day.

Are resident work details available to perform work for community organizations?
Please check with each individual correctional facility directly for information regarding assistance with local government or public non-profit organization projects.

Are residents financially responsible for housing and services they receive while incarcerated?
During incarceration, residents are assessed the following fees:

• $2.00 sick call fee per visit if medical and dental services are initiated by the resident. Funds collected assist the Department in offsetting costs associated with health care contracts.
• $1.00 monthly administrative fee for handling of resident trust funds. Collected fees are placed in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
• $5.35 fee for each urinalysis test having positive result is assessed upon conclusion of the disciplinary process if the resident is found guilty. Collected fees are utilized to defray costs incurred in administering urinalysis tests.
• Residents employed by private industry receive minimum wage and above. These residents are responsible for paying the State of Kansas 25% of gross wages per week for room and board. In addition, their earnings are subject to the following deductions: taxes, mandatory savings, victim restitution, dependent support, and fines/court costs.
• Funds that residents receive from sources exterior to the Kansas Department of Corrections are subject to a 10% mandatory savings withholding (after deduction of any outstanding obligations), with the proceeds to be deposited into a mandatory savings account, which will accrue interest. These funds are provided to the resident upon release to assist them in improving their chance for a successful transition into society.

What is an inter-facility transfer?
Residents may be transferred to any KDOC facility consistent with the custody classification, gender and other medical and/or programmatic needs of the resident and/or the management and operational needs of the KDOC.

A resident initiated, inter-facility transfer request must be submitted to the resident's unit team counselor through a Form-9. Residents in need of security transfers are given priority followed by those who have medical and mental health issues and program needs. Visitation is important but does not take priority over these other transfer needs. As much as the KDOC would like to house all residents near family and support group members, the KDOC is not able to accommodate every visitation transfer request. Those residents with the best record and who have waited the longest are given priority in granting visitation transfers.

What is the interstate compact?
Kansas has adopted an interstate compact with approximately 30 states that allows for the placement of a small number of Kansas residents in those states as needed for security considerations and subject to the approval of the other state. Interstate compact transfers are not considered for visitation purposes. 

What is a lockdown?
Although infrequent, a lockdown can occur in cases of emergencies, disturbances or disruptions of a general nature or that involve a substantial number of residents. While in lockdown status, residents remain in their cells. Visitation, phone calls, along with resident work programs and activities, are halted during a lockdown. 

What is good time?
Residents who demonstrate good work and behavior are eligible to earn good time credits which decrease part of the term of their incarceration.

Residents sentenced under the indeterminate sentencing structure are eligible to earn good time credits at a rate of 50 percent (one day earned for one day served). Residents sentenced under the determinate sentencing structure are eligible to earn good time credits at a rate of either 15 percent or 20 percent, depending on the date the crime was committed. Offenders sentenced under the determinate sentencing structure are also eligible to earn good time credits during their period of post-release supervision at a rate of 50 percent.

Good time credits may be withheld or forfeited for failure to comply with rules and regulations, resulting in the resident remaining in prison for a longer period of time. Good time credits withheld or forfeited on post-release supervision will result in the offender remaining under supervision for a longer period of time. 

How is an resident's sentence computed and how does good time work?
Please see the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Desk Reference Manual available through the Kansas Sentencing Commission.

Residents earn good time in accordance with their sentences while incarcerated. The crime carrying the longest sentence and post-release time is the sentence that will be used to compute the amount of time that will be served.

Upon completion of the prison portion of the imposed sentence, a resident may be released to serve a term of post-release supervision, plus the amount of good time earned and retained while imprisoned.

If the resident is released to post release and finishes the post release without being revoked, the offender will then start serving the good time the offender earned while incarcerated. If the offender is on post release and is revoked, the offender will be brought back in to a correctional facility.

If the resident is a parole violator and was sentenced under the indeterminate sentencing law, the resident would be held until seen by the Kansas Parole Board.

Sentence computation is completed by a special unit at the KDOC’s central office.

Kansas sentencing laws are very complex and every detail cannot be covered here. This is intended to provide a general understanding of the good time processes. 

What does sex offender management status mean?
The KDOC may manage residents as sex offenders based on their convictions or behavior. This status may affect the classification, visitation and available programming while incarcerated. It may also affect a resident's supervision upon release. This status may include any resident with one or more of the following: current sex crime conviction, prior adult or juvenile sex crime conviction, conviction for sexually-motivated crime, institutional behavior that shows a pattern of sexually-motivated behavior and/or designation as sex offender by the override panel. 

Can a resident's sex offender management status be changed?
Residents may request an override of their sex offender status by submitting a request that includes the specific guidelines they would like changed to the Unit Team or Parole Officer, depending on the resident's or offender’s location. Specific sex offender conditions examples are: contact with minors, attending sex offender treatment or being managed as a sex offender.

The Unit Team or Parole Officer will complete and submit an override packet to the KDOC’s central office for review by an override panel, which meets once a month. 

Are religious services/programs available to residents?
Every resident has the right to freedom of religious affiliation and voluntary worship. The exercise of such rights may be subject to the requirements of ensuring the safe, secure and orderly operation of the correctional facility. Chaplains and volunteers provide a range of religious services, pastoral counseling, study groups and other special events. 

Can a resident and I have a wedding ceremony in a correctional facility?
Yes. Residents make their request through the pastoral care department at which time the chaplain will follow a set of guidelines and protocol for the events leading up to the ceremony that must be approved by the Warden. This will include careful planning and may include marital counseling. The chaplain will lead the couple through this process and advise them of the criteria while keeping administrative staff informed of the proceedings.

All expenses associated with the marriage ceremony are the responsibility of the resident or prospective spouse. 

Can a resident be released to attend a funeral or make a bedside visit?
No. The loss of a loved one is a traumatic and stressful time that is intensified by also being incarcerated. In an effort to make this time as comfortable as possible for the resident, the KDOC has several resources available to the resident population.

The pastoral care department and mental health counselors along with unit staff work together to help an resident in his/her time of need.

What is a functional incapacitation release?
Kansas law provides some residents, who are very ill, with the option to apply for a functional incapacitation release. Functional incapacitation is defined as a medical or mental health condition, including one rendering the resident terminally ill to the extent that death is imminent, resulting in the afflicted resident being incapable of causing physical harm.

Applications are submitted to the KDOC and subsequently referred to the Kansas Parole Board. The application cannot be approved unless the Parole Board determines that the resident is functionally incapacitated and does not pose a risk to public safety. 

Are there legal services available to an resident?
Residents also have access to a prison law library and legal materials through LexisNexis research which provides legal research materials.

Residents also may use a Form-9 or write a letter requesting services to obtain the assistance of Legal Services for Prisoners, Inc.

Legal Services for Prisoners, is a non-profit group that provides legal services to indigent residents in Kansas correctional facilities.  The program's goal is to ensure that residents' rights to the courts are met to pursue non-frivolous claims.  Funding for Legal Services for Prisoners is administered by the State Board of Indigents' Defense Services although the entity is not a state agency.

The program currently operates offices in El Dorado Correctional Facility, Lansing Correctional Facility, and Topeka  Correctional Facility. However, a resident may apply for services at any correctional facility. Legal Services for Prisoners. For more information, contact Legal Services for Prisoners at (785) 746-7437. 

What happens the day of release?
Each facility works with the resident to ensure the resident receives all remaining funds in his/her resident account. Transportation is established prior to the day of release and the resident is given civilian clothes to wear out of the facility. The resident will be given instructions on reporting to his/her parole officer upon release. The person picking up the resident must show their driver’s license to facility staff prior to leaving. 

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Custody classification is how inmates are assessed with regard to the risk they present to themselves, other inmates, staff and the community. The standard set of objective criteria includes:

• Length of minimum sentence
• Length of time remaining to serve
• Criminal behavior involved in the current offense
• Past criminal behavior
• Escape history/characteristics
• Institutional adjustment
• Behavioral characteristics (suicidal, predatory, etc.)
• Special needs (protective custody, etc.)

Also considered are such issues as inmate performance in sex offender treatment, detainers, absconding supervised release, gang involvement, pending disciplinary issues and civil commitment issues. This system was developed to promote public safety and institutional order while providing guidelines to place inmates in the least restrictive level of supervision required based upon their assessed level of risk. The KDOC has five custody levels in KDOC facilities: special management, maximum custody, high-medium custody, low-medium custody and minimum custody.

Custody Classification Level System

• Special Management

Describes an inmate who, because of either a short-term or long-term condition surrounding his/her incarceration, requires segregation from the general population. Housing within a segregation unit and highly structured movement within that unit is required. The inmate is out of his/her cell one hour out of every 24 hours, five days a week.

• Maximum Custody
  Describes an inmate who is most suitable for housing at a maximum-security facility and whose movement and activities within that facility are highly structured and closely monitored. 

• High-medium Custody
  Describes an inmate who is most suitable for housing at a medium- or maximum-security facility, except HCF-East Unit and NCF-Central Unit. The inmate is not approved for an open-dormitory environment. Within the facility assigned, activities and movements are moderately controlled and structured.
• Low-medium Custody
  Describes an inmate who is most suitable for housing at a medium- or maximum-security facility or unit. The inmate can be assigned to dormitory-style living units. Low-medium custody inmates may be allowed greater movement within the perimeter. Low-medium custody inmates may be housed at HCF-East Unit or NCF-Central Unit.
• Minimum Custody
  Describes an inmate who is appropriate for housing at any level of security, with minimum security preferred.
 

When will an inmate know his/her custody classification?
Each inmate receives a classification review:

• upon reception;
• upon admission as a condition violator;
• at regularly scheduled intervals (120 day or annuall)y following admission; and,
• as unscheduled events occur that trigger a re-classification.

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You may check a resident’s location and status on the Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER) located on the KDOC’s website. Information is updated daily, excluding weekends.

KASPER is a database which contains information about offenders sentenced to the custody of the Secretary of Corrections since 1980. KASPER contains information regarding those who are: currently incarcerated; under post-incarceration supervision; and, who have been discharged from a sentence. KASPER does not have information available about inmates sent to Kansas under the provisions of the interstate compact agreement.

The information contained in KASPER is public information under provisions of Kansas statute and is made available to the public and law enforcement in the interest of public safety. No names are removed from the database unless a conviction is removed from the public record by one of three ways: one, if the conviction is overturned by means of an appeal; two, if the conviction is expunged; or three, if an offender is granted executive clemency.

Through KASPER you can find:

• Name and KDOC Registration Number;
• Physical description (date of birth, height, weight, hair and eye color, body markings, including photograph);
• Conviction description (crime(s) of conviction, county, case number);
• Anticipated release date;
• Inmate housing location (current location and facility movements, including movement dates, location of parole office maintaining supervision);
• Custody or supervision level (Whether an offender has been released to post-incarceration supervision (parole, conditional release, post-release supervision, compact probation or parole); and,
• Institutional disciplinary record (violations for which offender was found guilty).

Please note that release dates may change and are contingent upon good time and program credit earnings and forfeitures.

Specific questions regarding an inmate’s release date should be directed to the KDOC’s sentence computation unit at (785) 296-3317 or by e-mail.

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Mustangs on the Move

Since 2001, residents at Hutchinson Correctional Facility have aided the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in alleviating the over-population of wild horses on federal lands in the western United States. Left unchecked, the horses can multiply to the extent that the land would not sustain their numbers, resulting in starvation and other problems for these animals.

Through a cooperative agreement between the BLM and Kansas Correctional Industries (KCI), a self-supporting unit under the direction of the Kansas Department of Corrections, a dozen minimum-custody residents care and train the wild horses with the goal of making them suitable for adoption. The program also provides resident work opportunities that help residents reintegrate back into the community. With the ability to house up to 499 horses, KCI uses donated materials to train horses rounded up by the BLM. KCI also receives a per diem for housing and care of the horses. Each spring, KCI holds a horse auction with the sales benefitting the BLM to continue the program’s funding. Horses not adopted are transferred to long-term holding locations where they live out their lives. The BLM estimates approximately 14,000 wild horses will need to be relocated and held until the current crisis abates.

For more information about the program,
visit the Bureau of Land Management’s web site at:
www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the requirements for adopting a wild horse?
The potential owner must attain an approved application through the BLM. Upon approval, please contact Kansas Correctional Industries at (620) 625-7515, Monday through Friday, for more information.

How much does it cost to adopt an untrained wild horse?
Persons adopting untrained wild horses from Kansas Correctional Industries are charged a $125 fee that is forwarded to the BLM to cover administrative costs.

Can a person purchase a horse that is saddle trained?
Yes. Selected horses that have been saddle trained are available for purchase.

What is the cost of a saddle trained horse?
The current price for a saddle-trained mare or stud horse is $125.

What is considered to be a successful trained horse?

• Easy mounting and dismounting
• Knows the commands for walk, trot, lope and keeps its head and body collected
• Can turn either direction, stop and back up on command
• Can pick up all four feet
• Can load and unload in a four-horse trailer
  
  

Where do I get more information about how to adopt a trained or untrained horse from Kansas Correctional Industries (KCI)?

For more information, please contact:
Kansas Correctional Industries
(620) 625-7515
OR
Bureau of Land Management
(866) 4MUSTANGS

When are horses available for adoption?
Horses are available for adoption through Kansas Correctional Industries Monday through Friday by appointment.

Kansas Correctional Industries | Hutchinson Correctional Facility
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Education 
The KDOC contracts with Southeast Kansas Education Service Center (Greenbush) to provide educational and vocational services. 

• Barton Community College
  Provides on-site educational opportunities through a U.S. Department of Labor Community-Based Job Training (CBJT) Grant Program.
• Manufacturing Skills Certification (MSC):  The MSC course provides the student with the skills necessary to obtain entry level work on the shop floor of almost any manufacturing or construction company. The eight-hour credit course consists of five classes:  OSHA 10 Safety Course, basic shop math, blueprint reading/geometric dimensions, precision measurement and employability skills.
• Welding Certification:  The welding instruction provides the student with the skills necessary to obtain an entry-level welding job. The course covers welding for various types of metals, including oil field pipe and aluminum. The 16-hour credit course consists of six classes: OSHA 10 Safety Course, shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, blueprint ready for welders and cutting processes.
• Plumbing Certification:  The plumbing instruction provides the student with the skills necessary to obtain an entry level plumbing job in either the residential or commercial areas. Training is provided utilizing numerous types of tools that will be encountered in the plumbing industry. The course allows the student hands-on experience in using PVC, copper, steel, and Pex pipe and fittings. The nine-hour credit course consists of the following classes: OSHA Safety Training, Plumbing I, Plumbing II and Shop Practicum. 
• Internet and Computing Core Certification: This two-course program provides the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to take the Certiport IC-3 certification examination. The three credit hour course includes instruction in introduction to computers and computer concepts and cpplications.  
• GED Instruction/Testing: This course provides GED instruction and preparation throughout a 40-hour workweek. 
• Work Ready Instruction/Testing: This course provides the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to take the Work Ready certification examination. The program includes classes in reading, locating information and mathematics.

Medical

ECF's medical services encompass many areas of resident medical needs. In addition to the 24-hour nursing care that is available, a physician is on site 20 hours per week and a dentist is on site 30 hours each week. Services include medical screenings and physical exams; dental exams and prophylaxis with treatment that include oral surgery and limited prosthetics; optometry needs for prescribing and fitting of eye wear; ancillary services for laboratory values and x-rays; referral entities for specialty needs of brace/limb prosthetics; orthopedic consultations and surgeries; neurosurgical and neurological consultations; ophthalmological consultations for general surgical conditions; general medical diagnosis and treatments; internal medicine diagnosis and treatments; and other specialty referrals subject to approval of the state medical director. The chronic care clinic currently provides services in the following areas:  pulmonary, hypertension, diabetic, cardiac, epileptic, positive HIV, TB prophylaxis, past positive TB prophylaxis and hyperthyroidism.

Mental Health
The mental health department’s overall goal is to provide services that encourage and assist the resident in making positive changes and meeting his individual needs. The mental health therapy program provides a variety of services which include mental health group counseling, intensive groups, individual counseling, psychiatric intervention, crisis intervention, psychological evaluations, activity therapy, discharge planning, tele-psychiatry to assist in the management of inmates on psychotropic drugs and on-call services. In addition, mental health professionals provide staff instruction on the assessment and management of the resident population. 

Inmate Responsibility and Accountability Model (RAM) Training
The desired result of this training is that the participants will utilize the tools in their daily life. They can also apply the tools when they are released and strengthen their ability to remain on post-release supervision. The focus is on the behavior cycle, errors in thinking, thinking reports and problem resolution techniques. The course has been re-configured as a therapeutic group and targets those who successfully completed a previous group. The group meets once a week for 24 weeks.

NON-CONTRACTED PROGRAMS

Religion
The goal and objective of chaplaincy services is to assist inmates in achieving individual spiritual growth. Services are held weekly for Catholic, protestant, Muslim, Moorish Science Temple of America, Jehovah Witness, United Tribes, Wicca, Buddhist, Assembly of Yahweh, Latter Day Saints, Judaism, Rastafarian and Asatru studies for inmates wishing to attend. A Native American Sweat Lodge ceremony is held on the third Sunday of each month and a pow wow is held quarterly. A variety of counseling services are available, including marriage, crisis, family, individual sessions and Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous.

Numerous volunteers conduct religious services, bible studies and assist with other inmate activities.

To further support this mission, a free-standing Spiritual Life Center (SLC) has been constructed at ECF. The total cumulative cost of this capital improvement funding project was approximately $361,000. This project was accomplished primarily through the efforts of volunteers and facility staff using inmate labor. Project funding came exclusively from donations received from churches, individuals, corporations and grants from private foundations.   

Reentry

• Central Kansas Reentry Program (CKRP)

CKRP primary objective is to ensure inmates have the opportunity to improve their probability of a successful return to society. The program utilizes partnerships with corrections agencies, law enforcement, victim services, mental health services, medical health providers, political and community representatives, employers and employment agencies, landlords, housing authorities and faith-based organizations. 

CKRP’s target population consists of inmates who are assessed with high risks and needs in specific areas of their lives, are releasing to the Central Kansas area within a 90-minute radius of the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and who are within 12-14 months from their scheduled release. Once assessed for needs in their high risk-to-reoffend areas, these individuals are referred to groups, classes and workshops designed around their case management plan to target their specific needs. The primary areas of focus include but are not limited to:

• Thinking for a Change – focuses on the process of acceptance of social controls, the constructs of our environment, understanding thought patterns and ramifications of actions.
• Job Readiness Training - designed to increase the likelihood of employment stability through education, career assessments, resume building, interview proficiency and networking.
• Family Transitions –  emphasizes creating positive rewards and value systems in relationships including how to avoid and handle conflicts.
• Transitional Planning – focuses on housing and reentry in the community and seeking out pro-social rewards and support systems.
• Money Matters – provides instruction on financial matters such budgeting, managing bank accounts and incorporating savings and retirement plans into a financial plan.
• Interventions – focuses on daily functioning and emotional interventions that address primary life stressors.

Pro-social supports are also a highlight of CKRP. Families attend quarterly family workshops in the community to speak with reentry and parole staff regarding release planning and community transitions.Providing community supports to individuals assures the best chance for their success. Reentry staff will continue working with the individual and their parole supervisor post-release offering services and mediation as needed until societal stability is achieved and the individual advances through the commencement process.   

Bicycle Refurbishing Program
Established in 1999, the program employs 12 inmates who repair and refurbish bicycles that are then donated to less fortunate individuals in Kansas communities and throughout the United States. The bicycle parts and materials are obtained through donations by individuals, law enforcement agencies and civic organizations.

Recreation
Inmates participate in recreational or leisure time activities depending upon their physical ability, fitness and acceptable behavior. The program targets physical and mental fitness, promotes productive leisure time, and includes intramural, social and cultural programming in addition to special events. The gym and yard are open seven days a week for inmate use. 

Community Access Network (CAN), Inc.
Implemented in 2003, this project is a not-for-profit collaborative initiative comprised of representatives from various Kansas government organizations and community partners. The purpose of CAN is to develop an online resource to promote social issues, identify available services, and provide community statistics surrounding social issues and services.

Wheels for the World 
Established in 1993, this outreach program for Joni and Friends Ministries refurbishes used wheelchairs that are distributed throughout the world. ECF’s program also manugactures universal footrests that are shipped to other distribution centers. Additionally, the program produced a new all-terrain attachment which allows individuals in various areas of the world to maneuver a wheelchair in rough terrain. The program's ECF supervisors are often called upon to lend their support in training and technical advice to setup similar programs in other states and countries. The program contracts with Personal Energy Transportation Kansas from Moundridge, Kan., to build parts for hand-cranked carts that are needed by those who lost the use of their legs due to polio, landmine injuries or amputation.  

Library
The library provides recreational, educational, legal and other information resources contributing to the development of the inmates in their physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual well-being. The library has approximately 12,000 books, receives about 30 newspapers and magazines and provides reference collection of encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories and other ready reference books. The collection is supplemented by an efficient, state-wide inter-library loan service. Inmates are provided access to all the legal documents, cases, statutes, administrative rules and case notes through the computerized LexisNexis system. The library also provides photocopying services and typewriters for inmates doing legal work. 

Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education and Services (CARES), Inc.
Since 1999, the CARES group has worked with ECF inmates who teach puppies basic obedience and socialization skills during a three- to six-month period.Once these skills are mastered, the dogs are placed with individuals who have a variety of challenges (physical, mental or emotional). 

Work Programs
ECF’s policy is to provide inmates with a variety of meaningful work/program assignments patterned after a typical workday in the community. Assignments are designed to encourage inmates to develop desirable work habits and skills while engaging in work projects for ECF and the State of Kansas. 

An inmate employment assessment and job assignment program has been established at ECF which is utilized to ensure inmates are assigned jobs commensurate with their technical skills and to encourage inmates to possess positive behavioral characteristics. In addition, inmates are assigned to work crews to obtain on-the-job training which allows them to develop their work skills and assist them with reintegration into society.

Overview | Visitor Information | Programs | History | Warden

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Wardens
Don Langford Martin J. Sauers Dan Schnurr Johnnie Goddard Sam Cline Raymond N. Roberts L.E. Bruce Robert Harrison Michael A. Nelson		2019-present 2016-2019 2011-2016 2007-2011 2003-2007 1999-2003 1992-1999 1990-1992 1987-1990

ECF Timeline
1986	The Kansas Legislature approved construction of a correctional facility to house 96 minimum-custody youthful inmates convicted of non-violent crimes.
1987	Ellsworth is selected as the location to receive the new facility that will house 252 medium-custody inmates. The facility will be called the Ellsworth Correctional Work Facility (ECWF).
	Michael A. Nelson is named ECWF’s first Warden. (Additional administrative staff was added in 1988.)
1988	The word “Work” is removed from the title of the facility.
	The first inmates were transferred to ECF to help with construction of the facility.
	The Kansas Legislature approved an expansion of the original project to provide housing for 516 multi-custody inmates.
1990	Governor Mike Hayden and KDOC Secretary Steve Davies dedicated the facility at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5.
1994	For two years, the facility housed parole condition violators, conditional release violators and post-release supervision violators KDOC wanted to house separately from the general prison population.
1995	The Department of Corrections began assessing offender fees for the following:  administrative fees for management of inmate trust fund accounts ($1.00 per inmate, per month); sick call ($2.00 per inmate-initiated visit); and urinalysis testing ($5.35 per confirmed positive test).
2000	Kansas Legislature approved construction of a 100-cell maximum security unit at ECF. Due to increasing numbers of medium custody inmates in the system, the unit is currently being utilized to house medium custody inmates and facility's segregation population.
2004	ECF’s Spiritual Life Center was constructed entirely with private donations to provide religious programs to inmates.
2006	Then-Senator Sam Brownback, contemplating a presidential run in 2008, spent the night at ECF and met with inmates on May 31.
2012	In the fall, a minimum-security unit (ECF East Unit) opened in the southeast corner of Ellsworth, housing 95 inmates, increasing the total operating capacity at the ECF Central and East Units to 915.

 

Overview | Visitor Information | Programs | History | Warden

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