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Statistical Profile: FY 2009 Offender Population

David Cook — 2011-07-01T05:00:00Z

This report provides a detailed statistical profile of adult offenders in the Kansas correctional system and describes the State's offender commitment and release trends.

Statistical Profile - FY 2008 Offender Population Report

David Cook — 2011-07-01T05:00:00Z

State Releases Plans to Improve Juvenile Justice System, Promote Public Safety, and Reduce Costs

cherylca — 2015-12-10T22:40:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 10, 2015

State Releases Plans to Improve Juvenile Justice System, Promote Public Safety, and Reduce Costs

Topeka, KS –– The Kansas Juvenile Justice Workgroup today submitted to state leaders a comprehensive set of data-driven policy recommendations designed to increase public safety, effectively hold juvenile offenders accountable and reduce juvenile justice costs. The Workgroup’s recommendations will be used as the foundation for statutory, budgetary, and administrative changes during the 2016 session of the legislature.

In keeping with its charge from state leaders, the Workgroup issued 40 consensus-based recommendations that if fully implemented are projected to reduce the average daily out-of-home population by at least 62 percent from projected levels in 2021, leaving millions available for reinvestment. Other highlights of the policy recommendations include:

Preventing deeper juvenile justice system involvement of lower-level offenders through early response with targeted services and swift and appropriate sanctions;

Protecting public safety and containing costs by focusing system resources on higher level youth; and
Sustaining effective practices through continued oversight and reinvestment in a stronger continuum of evidence-based services.

The report is available at: www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/committee/Workgroup/report/Final.

While the juvenile arrest rate in Kansas dropped more than 50 percent from 2004 to 2013, the state’s community supervision and residential commitment populations have not fallen at the same rate. In particular, the out-of-home placement population did not mirror the drop in the juvenile arrest rate, declining by roughly half as much (24 percent). Kansas is currently ranked 9th highest nationally in out of home placements for juvenile justice involved youth.

Beginning in June 2015, the Workgroup conducted a comprehensive analysis of the juvenile justice system, reviewing key data from the Office of Judicial Administration (OJA), the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and KDOC, and gathering input from those who work on the front lines through more than two dozen roundtable discussions with stakeholders, including law enforcement, crime victims, judges, county and district attorneys, and service providers. The Workgroup also reviewed current research on reducing recidivism as well as effective policies and practices from states across the country.

"These recommendations are an important step forward for juvenile justice in Kansas," said Governor Brownback. "Our priority is helping Kansas youth and their families. These steps mean less crime, lower costs for taxpayers and better outcomes for everyone involved."

Key findings of the Workgroup include:

As crime falls, Kansas’s juvenile justice system does not keep pace. Instead of mirroring the reduction in crime, Kansas’s juvenile justice system is cycling youth through more out-of-home placements and holding them away from home longer than it did a decade ago.
The vast majority of youth placed in state-funded residential facilities are lower-level offenders and have limited criminal histories.
Bed costs are high. More than two-thirds (over $53 million) of KDOC’s juvenile services budget is spent on out-of-home placements at a cost of as much as $89,000 per year per youth. That is more than 10 times the cost of probation.
Evidence-based interventions for juvenile offenders are scarce in communities.

“We charged the work group with studying the juvenile justice system to see if there were opportunities for better outcomes for our youth and our communities,” said Chief Justice Nuss. “I am encouraged by their recommendations and believe they should help us create a more efficient and effective juvenile justice system.”

“The recommendations in this report help provide the Legislature with a framework for achieving a brighter future for our state’s youth,” said Speaker Merrick. “With these recommendations we are better positioned to assist troubled juveniles to avoid a future of incarceration and instead become productive members of society.”

“The policies put forth by the Workgroup will help improve the juvenile justice system in Kansas,” said Senate President Susan Wagle. “Together we can create better policy that will result in having fewer youth in our juvenile system, and fewer coming into our adult corrections system as well.”

“I am encouraged that Kansas is focusing on its juvenile justice system,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley. “The Legislature now has an opportunity to work together to improve the lives of our youth, families, and communities.”

“Kansas needs a juvenile system that focuses on public safety and improving the outcomes of youth, said House Minority Leader Burroughs. “I look forward to working on them during the next legislative session.”

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 received technical assistance from The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project throughout the Workgroup process.

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STATE AND LOCAL POLICYMAKERS CONSIDER OPTIONS TO AVERT RISE IN PRISON COSTS- 12-12-06

David Cook — 2011-08-17T16:53:54Z

Legislators, state officials, and local leaders gathered at a criminal justice policy forum on Tuesday, December 12, organized by the Kansas Department of Corrections, Kansas Reentry Policy Council, Legislative 3-R’s committee, and the Council of State Governments.

STATE AND LOCAL POLICYMAKERS CONSIDER OPTIONS TO AVERT RISE IN PRISON COSTS- 12-12-06

David Cook — 2011-08-17T16:53:33Z

Spring 2014 Newsletter - THE BEACON

Kimberly_Marotta — 2014-04-01T17:16:44Z

Check out the latest edition of THE BEACON.

Spring 2011 Newsletter

David Cook — 2008-10-01T20:09:52Z

The Beacon - Spring 2011

Spring 2010 Newsletter

David Cook — 2008-10-01T20:09:52Z

The Beacon Spring 2010

Spring 2009 Newsletter

David Cook — 2008-10-01T20:09:52Z

The Beacon Spring 2009

Sex Offender Supervision Handbook

cherylca — 2013-06-21T14:45:00Z

This handbook is to be considered a resource book for individualized supervision of sex offenders.

Sex Offender Housing Restrictions

cherylca — 2013-06-21T14:50:00Z

Housing restrictions appear to be based largely on three myths that are repeatedly propagated by the media: 1) all sex offenders reoffend; 2) treatment does not work; and 3) the concept of “stranger danger.” Research does not support these myths, but there is research to suggest that such policies may ultimately be counterproductive. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D.
Research shows that there is no correlation between residency restrictions and reducing sex offenses against children or improving the safety of children. Iowa County Attorneys Association
The resulting damage to the reliability of the sex offender registry does not serve the interests of public safety. Iowa County Attorneys Association
There is no demonstrated protective effect of the residency requirement that justifies the huge draining of scarce law enforcement resources in the effort to enforce the restriction. Iowa County Attorneys Association
Many prosecutors have observed that the numerous negative consequences of the lifetime residency restriction has caused a reduction in the number of confessions made by offenders in cases where defendants usually confess after disclosure of the offense by the child. In addition, there are more refusals by defendants charged with sex offenses to enter plea agreements. Plea agreements are necessary in many cases involving child victims in order to protect the children from trauma of the trial process. Iowa County Attorneys Association
Recommendation 1: Shared Living Arrangements appear to be a frequently successful mode of containment and treatment for higher risk sex offenders and should be considered a viable living situation for higher risk sex offenders in the community…. Recommendation 2: Placing restrictions on the location of correctionally supervised sex offender residences may not deter the sex offender from re-offending and should not be considered as a method to control sexual offending recidivism. Report on Safety Issues Raised by Living Arrangements for and Location of Sex Offenders in the Community; Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal justice, Sex Offender Management Board
....the number of sex offenders who are unaccounted for has doubled since the law went into effect. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
There is no accommodation in the current statute for persons on parole or probation supervision. These offenders are already monitored and their living arrangements approved. Iowa County Attorneys Association
[This policy] is contrary to well-established principles of treatment and rehabilitation of sex offenders….These goals are severely impaired by the residency restriction, compromising the safety of children by obstructing the use of the best known corrections practice. Iowa County Attorneys Association
The sex offender residency restriction was a very well intentioned effort to keep the children of our communities safe from sex offenders. It has, however, had unintended consequences that effectively decrease community safety. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
….some offenders are attempting to comply by providing descriptions of where they are actually living….”under the 7^th street bridge,” “truck near river,” “rest area mile marker 149,” “Flying J, in truck,” “in tent, S side of I-80,” “RV in old K-Mart parking lot,” “I-35 rest area,”….Two listed Quick Trips…. For the first time, sex offender treatment providers tell us, sex offenders are absconding in larger numbers. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
When a brutal sexually violent crime occurs, such as the one that occurred in Iowa last year, our societal tendency is to focus all our resources and energy on stopping offenders. The long-term solutions to eradicating sexual violence from our society, however, do not lie in measures taken to stop re-offense, but rather in preventing sexual violence from happening in the first place. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
… the Board of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault joined the Iowa County Attorneys Association in stating that these unintended consequences warrant replacing the residency restriction with more effective measures. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Housing restrictions have passed in most localities with little resistance. Child safety is rightly the primary concern when sex offender restrictions are imposed. It seems to make sense that decreasing access to potential victims would be a feasible strategy to preventing sex crimes. There is no evidence, however, that such laws are effective in reducing recidivistic sexual violence. On the other hand, such laws aggravate the scarcity of housing options for sex offenders, forcing them out of metropolitan areas and farther away from the social support, employment opportunities and social services that are known to aid offenders in successful community re-entry. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D.
Despite overwhelming public and political support, there is no evidence that proximity to schools increases recidivism, or, conversely, that housing restrictions reduce reoffending or increase community safety. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D.
Based on the examination of level three re-offenders, there were no examples that residential proximity to a park or school was a contributing factor in any of the sexual re-offenses noted… Enhanced safety due to proximity restrictions may be a comfort factor for the general public, but it does not have any basis in fact…it appears that a sex offender attracted to such locations for purposes of committing a crime is more likely to travel to another neighborhood on order to in secret rather than in a neighborhood where his or her picture is well known. Level Three Sex Offenders Residential Placement Issues, 2003 Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Having such restrictions in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul would likely force level three offenders to move to more rural areas that would not contain nearby schools and parks but would pose other problems, such as high concentration of offenders with no ties to the community; isolation; lack of work, education and treatment options; and an increase in the distance traveled by agents who supervise offenders. Again, no evidence points to any effect on offense rates of school proximity residential restrictions. Level Three Sex Offenders Residential Placement Issues, 2003 Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Since blanket proximity restrictions on residential locations of level three offenders do not enhance community safety, the current offender-by-offender restrictions should be retained. Proximity restrictions, based on circumstances on an individual offender, serve as a valuable supervision tool…Most of these supervision proximity restrictions address the issue of the offender associating or interacting with children or minors, rather than where the offender resides. Level Three Sex Offenders Residential Placement Issues, 2003 Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Corrections
A significant number of offenders have married or have been reunited with their victims; and, in those cases, the residency restriction is imposed on the victims as well as the offenders. Iowa County Attorneys Association…
A tight web of supervision, treatment and surveillance may be more important in maintaining community safety than where a sex offender resides. Report on Safety Issues Raised by Living Arrangements for and Location of Sex Offenders in the Community; Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal justice, Sex Offender Management Board.

September

Hope.Burns — 2017-02-02T14:20:00Z

September

cherylca — 2017-12-06T16:03:53Z

Sept 9 2015 Meeting Summary

Karyl-Ann Roehl — 2015-10-22T15:11:02Z

Senate 2 11 2015

cherylca — 2015-02-12T19:28:54Z

Overview of the Kansas Department of Corrections to Senate Ways & Means Subcommittee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice (Secretary Ray Roberts, February 11, 2015)