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Kansas State Industrial Reformatory (KSIR)

In the mid 1880s, the State of Kansas recognized the need for a reformatory in Kansas. Modeled after the nation’s first reformatory established in Elmira, New York, the reformatory concept focused on reforming first-time male offenders between the ages of 16 and 30 through vocational training and academic education. The reformatory system also introduced the concept of indeterminate sentences whereby an offender could be sentenced to a range of years that then could be shortened if the offender exhibited good behavior while in prison.

Work on the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory (KSIR) began in 1885 when then-Governor John Martin authorized the purchase of land to build a reformatory. Following concerns that the state institutions were all located in the eastern part of the state, legislation was passed that new institutions had to be built in the western half of the state, areas west of Highway 81. Several Kansas communities vied for the reformatory including Belleville, McPherson, Newton, Wichita and Hutchinson.

The City of Hutchinson raised $25,000 and a group called the Hutchinson Sewing Circle contributed $1,000 for the purchase of 640 acres of land for the reformatory. The innocuous-sounding group was made up of a group of Hutchinson-area prostitutes who believed that the reformatory was a good concept and that youth should be separated from adults in the prison system.

On July 2, 1885 news reached the City of Hutchinson that it had been selected as the site for the new reformatory. A holiday was declared and the newspaper gives the account that throngs of people crowded Main Street, bells sounded and fireworks were shot off during a celebration that continued into the night.

Initiated with a $60,000 legislative appropriation, construction began on November 19, 1885. However, the project that encompassed building one cellblock that would house 100 men soon became beleaguered with delays that would hamper the project for the next decade. By March of 1887 all appropriated funds had been exhausted though an additional estimated $300,000 was still needed in order to complete the cellblock. At one point, the project came to a standstill for four years when the legislature failed to appropriate additional funds.

In 1894, Governor Merrill promised that if he were elected governor a reformatory would be completed in the next year. Governor Merrill was elected and held true to his promise. In August 1895 a 50-man brick cellhouse was completed and the first 30 inmates were transferred from the Kansas State Penitentiary (now Lansing Correctional Facility) to KSIR. Unfortunately, the first cellhouse was constructed of Hutchinson brick which was made from clay that was dug out of the banks of the Arkansas River. This clay contained so much sand that most buildings built of Hutchinson brick deteriorated rapidly.

The second cellhouse was completed in 1906. Both cellhouses were tied together by the rotunda which at that time was the administration building. By 1898, 185 inmates were housed at the reformatory. From 1895 to 1898, 240 inmates had been received and 270 paroles had been granted.

All inmates at KSIR went to school for two hours every night after a regular 8-hour work day. They also went to school all day on stormy days and on Saturdays. KSIR’s first vocational program was stonecutting. Many of the buildings built in Kansas around the turn of the century were built by men who were ex-inmates who had learned stonecutting at the reformatory.

Also of note in the reformatory’s history:

• In 1895, legislation passed that allowed both male and females to be housed at the reformatory. Between 1898 and 1900, two females were sent by court to KSIR. Both were later returned to the sentencing court and the law was changed in 1900.
• In 1900, the legislature approved the creation of a parole officer position and a transfer officer position that would pick up parole violators who were released from the reformatory.
• Also in 1900, a lower court ruled at the prompting of a lawsuit brought by an inmate that the Department of Corrections policy to transfer recalcitrant inmates to Lansing was unconstitutional. In 1901, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Corrections had the authority to transfer inmates as the agency deemed appropriate.
• In 1903, the reformatory had its first successful escape. On December 19, 1903 inmate Elmer Slider, who was a trustee at the director's residence, slipped off into the night and was never heard from again.
• Also in 1903, the reformatory adopted the policy of photographing all incoming inmates to aid in the apprehension of escapees and parole violators who had absconded from supervision.
• In 1907, the term “prison guards” was changed to correctional officers as staff were responsible for more than simply guarding inmates. Staff also were responsible for counseling and providing guidance to inmates.
• During World War I, the reformatory's population dropped from 430 to 326 by January of 1918. Most of the inmates who wanted to volunteer for the draft were given that option rather than serving their prison term. A report at the time indicated that most of the inmates who served in the war had received honorable discharges.
• During the years between 1916 and 1918, records indicate leaves were granted to inmates from 30 to 90 days in order to assist area farmers in bringing in the crops.

The reformatory’s name was changed in 1990 when the facility became the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

Overview | Visitor Information | Programs | History | Warden
____________________________________________________________________________

Overview | Visitor Information | History | Warden
____________________________________________________________________________

Consecutive sentence
If an offender has more than one sentence, consecutive means that each sentence is to be served one following the other without interruption.

Concurrent Sentence
If an offender has more that one sentence, concurrent means that each sentence is served at the same time.

Determinate sentence
This is the sentence in which the offender is given a set amount of time to serve. It is expressed in terms of a number of months. An offender who is convicted of an offense committed on or after July 1, 1993 will receive a determinate sentence. The offender will not see the parole board unless the crime was 1st Degree Murder or Treason.

Indeterminate sentence
This is the sentence in which the offender is sentenced to serve a term expressed as a range of years, e.g., 1 to 5 years, 3 to 10 years, 5 to 20 years, etc. Such offenders may be released on parole, and must be released on their conditional release date as explained below. An inmate’s initial parole eligibility is determined by subtracting the amount of good time they earn and retain from their minimum sentence. For example: If an inmate is sentenced to a term of 10-30 years earns and retains all of their available good time, they are first parole eligible at five years. An offender who committed an offense before July 1, 1993 will receive an indeterminate sentence.

Conditional release
Conditional release is a date established as a function of state law and is determined by subtracting the amount of good time they earn and retain from their maximum sentence. This is the date on which the offender must be released by state law, without a discretionary release decision from the Kansas Parole Board.  The offender will then be supervised by a Parole Officer. For example: If an inmate is sentenced to a term of 10-30 years earns and retains all of their available good time, they are first parole eligible at five years and reach their conditional release date at 15 years.

Post-release supervision
This is the period of time during which an offender serving a determinate sentence is supervised in the community following release from the prison portion of the offender’s sentence. Like the prison portion of the sentence, it is also expressed in terms of a set number of months. Offenders on postrelease supervision are supervised by Parole Officers.

Sentence Discharge/Maximum Sentence Date
This is the date on which the offender has served all of their sentence and will be released from any further obligation on the sentence, and no longer be supervised by the Kansas Department of Corrections. It is initially determined according to the sentence given to the offender by the sentencing court, but in the case of determinate sentences, may be modified to an earlier date by earning and award of good time while on postrelease supervision (see definition for “good time”). In the case of indeterminate sentences, the Kansas Parole Board may grant an early discharge of the sentence, generally based upon the offender’s compliance with conditions of parole supervision for a period of at least one year.

Good time
Inmates who demonstrate good work and behavior are eligible to earn good time credits which decrease part of the term of their incarceration. Inmates sentenced under the indeterminate sentencing structure are eligible to earn good time credits at a rate of 50% (one day earned for one day served). Inmates sentenced under the determinate sentencing structure are eligible to earn good time credits at a rate of either 15% or 20%, 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 postrelease supervision at a rate of 50%. Good time credits may be withheld or forfeited for failure to comply with rules and regulations, resulting in the inmate remaining in prison for a longer period of time. Good time credits withheld or forfeited on postrelease supervision will result in the offender remaining under supervision for a longer period of time.

Program Credit 
Program credits are available to inmates serving sentences for crimes committed on or after January 1, 2008, and are limited to inmates serving non-drug severity level 4 through 10 crimes or drug severity level 3 or 4 crimes. Program credits can decrease the inmate’s term of incarceration up to 60 days. Credits are available upon successful completion of a general education diploma (GED), a technical or vocational training program, a substance abuse treatment program, or any other program designated by the Secretary of Corrections which has been shown to reduce offender risk after release. Sex offender treatment programs are excluded. Credit can only be received once, and can be forfeited.

Work Release
The Department of Corrections operates work release programs in Wichita, Hutchinson and Topeka. While an inmate is participating in the program, they continue to reside at the correctional facility but are employed in the community. The inmates at the Wichita and Hutchinson work release programs are eligible to attend church unescorted by staff.

Community Service Work program
Minimum custody inmates at all correctional facilities except Wichita Work Release Facility may be assigned to a community service work detail. These crews are supervised by specially trained staff and are assigned to projects that include construction, maintenance, lawn care, snow removal, and more for local units of government, other state agencies, and eligible not-for-profit organizations. Offenders serving a sentence for conviction of a sexually violent offense are not eligible for assignment until such time as they have completed Sex Offender Treatment Program and are also determined not to be high-risk according to KDOC assessment.

Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP)
Provides a three-phase approach (orientation, treatment and transition) of evaluating and treating sexual offenders committed to the custody of the KDOC. Candidates for the program are inmates who have been convicted of a sex offense or a sexually motivated offense. The program is 18 months in duration, and is based on a cognitive, relapse prevention model.

The community-based sex offender treatment program for offenders on parole and postrelease supervision focuses on relapse prevention skills training, and provides both basic treatment and aftercare protocols.

Substance Abuse Treatment
Facility based substance abuse treatment provides inmates with a continuum of treatment services to assist them in overcoming their dependence on and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. The department offers several levels of substance abuse treatment, including therapeutic communities.

Community based Substance abuse treatment services for offenders on parole and postrelease supervision include transitional therapeutic community residential placements and outpatient counseling.

Theraputic Community (TC)
The facility based TC program provides a structured living and treatment environment for offenders with substance abuse problems. The program ranges from 6 to18 months (depending on the location and each individual’s treatment needs) and contains three phases - orientation, treatment and transition. The program emphasizes cognitive restructuring and graduated incentives within its treatment curriculum.

Inmates in the TC program, are separated from the general inmate population and create their own pro-social community. As they move through the treatment program, the inmates are able to help new members of the community who have not yet learned those attitudes and behaviors.

An additional required feature of the therapeutic community treatment concept includes a community-based component for offenders on parole or postrelease supervision. The Transitional Therapeutic Community (TTC) services are an extension of therapeutic community methods and objectives.

Sex Offender Treatment and Substance Abuse Treatment services are provided under contracts between the Kansas Department of Corrections and DCCCA, Inc. of Lawrence, Kansas and Mirror, Inc. of Newton, Kansas.

Community residential beds (CRBs)
The CRBs provide structured living for offenders who are just being released from prison and who lack a suitable parole plan or for those on post-incarceration supervision who have encountered difficulties. The focus of the CRBs is to encourage the offender’s successful return to the community.

Community residential beds are located in Kansas City, Wichita, and Topeka.

Custody Levels

• Special Management - This describes an offender who is in prison 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 1 hour out of every 24 hours.
• 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.
• Medium Custody – Describes an inmate that is most suitable for housing at a medium or maximum-security facility. Within the facility assigned, activities and movements are moderately controlled and structured.
• Minimum Custody – Describes an inmate who is appropriate for housing at any level of security, with minimum security preferred.

Clinical Services Report
An evaluation of the offender’s current mental health and risk level.

Parole
Parole is when the parole board decides to release an offender from prison who is serving an indeterminate sentence once the offender is eligible for parole. The offender will then be under the supervision of a parole officer until the sentence is complete or the offender is sent back to prison for any reason. The Parole Board may re-parole offenders at its discretion.

Parole Decisions
Inmates sentenced under the indeterminate sentencing law will be eligible to see the Parole Board to ask for release on parole under Department of Corrections supervision. The Parole Board can parole, pass, or continue this decision.

• Pass - The Parole Board can issue a “pass”, which is a denial of parole. When issuing a pass, the Parole Board will also decide on a period of time until the offender will be again considered for parole. The Board can pass an offender for up to 10 years in some cases, depending on the severity of the crime and the length of the sentence.
• Continue - The Parole Board may “continue” the decision, which is postponing making a decision to parole or pass the inmate. The KPB may request a variety of additional information regarding the offender's risk and re-entry plans.
• Full Board Review - Often, offenders do not receive a decision immediately following their case for a full board review.  Full board review is a group-based problem solving approach utilized by the KPB to present a comprehensive overview of a case to all KPB members.  The KPB utilizes the Full Board Review process for inmates with life sentences under possible consideration for parole or for the purpose of long-term planning, any high-profile case which has strong opposition or media interest, sex offenders with the potential to be reviewed for civil commitment as a sexually violent predator, all extended passes where there is dissent among KPB members, and any other case requiring problem-solving perspective.

PO
This is the abbreviation for Parole Officer. The Parole Officer is the staff person from the Kansas Department of Corrections who will be supervising the offender while the offender is on parole or postrelease supervision.