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
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June 11, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Governor Brownback, Kansas Leaders Announce Formation of Juvenile Justice Workgroup

Topeka – Governor Sam Brownback, legislative leaders and Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss today announced formation of a bipartisan panel that will examine Kansas’ juvenile justice system and recommend comprehensive reforms aimed at improving public safety and outcomes for youth.

The launch of the inter-branch Juvenile Justice Workgroup marks the first critical step of a wide-ranging review of Kansas’ juvenile justice system. Following a model used successfully by many other states, the panel will conduct an intensive, data-driven analysis of the system, evaluating policies and practices to develop proposals for effective reforms.

“Juvenile justice reform is a priority for my administration,” Governor Brownback said. “I look forward to an honest assessment of what’s working and what could be improved. I want to see recommendations that help Kansas protect public safety and improve outcomes across our juvenile justice system."      

Formation of the Workgroup comes amid growing concerns about the effectiveness of the Kansas juvenile justice system, for juveniles and taxpayers alike. Some of these concerns have been raised recently by the Kansas Legislature's Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice.

Although juvenile commitment rates have declined in Kansas, the drop has not kept pace with national trends. The most recent national statistics show that while the average commitment rate across the country declined 48 percent from 1997 to 2011, Kansas experienced a reduction of 38 percent over the same time period.

“Over the next six months, the Workgroup will examine the juvenile justice system from top to bottom,” said Chief Justice Nuss. “It will take a hard look at our system to see if it is working as best as it can, and if it is not up to snuff, the experts on the Workgroup will recommend changes to improve outcomes across the board.”

Made up of representatives from all branches of state government as well as law enforcement, the Workgroup will review key data from across the juvenile system and gather input from those who work on the front lines with youth and their families. In developing proposals for reform, the group’s priorities will be to:

• Promote public safety and hold juvenile offenders accountable
• Control taxpayer costs
• Improve outcomes for youth, families and communities in Kansas

The Workgroup’s recommendations will be used as the foundation for statutory, budgetary and administrative changes during the 2016 legislative session. A portion of any cost savings from reforms or averted expenditures would be reinvested in strategies and programs shown to reduce recidivism, hold juvenile offenders accountable and promote public safety.

Joining Governor Brownback and Chief Justice Nuss to establish the Workgroup were Senate President Susan Wagle, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, Speaker of the House Ray Merrick and House Minority Leader Tom Burroughs. All of the officials expressed optimism that the Workgroup’s review will produce meaningful improvements, leading to better outcomes for youth, their families and Kansas taxpayers.

“The primary goal of this Workgroup is to increase public safety and create a more effective and efficient juvenile justice system,” said House Speaker Merrick. “Working together we can do better for our kids, families and communities by shifting policy and resources toward smarter strategies that cost less. I look forward to receiving the recommendations of the Workgroup later this year.”

“The Workgroup will take a hard look at whether the system is actually achieving the goals that we as a legislative body have set,” said Senate President Wagle. “If we are not living up to our own goals, I urge the Workgroup to help us find ways to improve.”

“I am encouraged that Kansas will be working to develop comprehensive reforms to our juvenile justice system,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley. “Now Kansas has an opportunity to take a look at the entire system, rather than select areas, to help troubled juveniles avoid a future of incarceration and instead become productive members of society.”

“Kansas needs a system where juveniles aren’t just locked up, but one in which they have access to high quality rehabilitation services and the opportunity to redeem themselves and get back on the right path,” said House Minority Leader Burroughs. 

The Workgroup is co-chaired by Representative John Rubin and Senator Greg Smith, chairs of the House and Senate corrections and juvenile justice committees. It also includes 15 additional members:

• Representative Gail Finney, District 84
• Senator Pat Pettey, District 6
• Judge Thomas Foster, 10^th Judicial District
• Judge Mary Thrower, 28^th Judicial District
• Judge Delia M. York, 29^th Judicial District
• Mark Gleeson, Office of Judicial Administration
• Stephanie Springer, 27^th Judicial District Chief Court Services Officer
• Ray Roberts, Secretary, Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC)
• Terri Williams, Deputy Secretary of Juvenile Services, KDOC
• Randy Bowman, Director of Community Based Services, KDOC
• Melody Pappan, Cowley County Youth Services Administrator
• Jaime Rogers, Deputy Secretary, Kansas Department for Children and Families
• Trent Wetta, Kansas Legal Services
• Karen Griffiths, Assistant County Attorney, Norton County
• Ed Klumpp, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police

The state will receive technical assistance from The Pew Charitable Trusts throughout the Workgroup process and the 2016 legislative session.

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