The Kansas Department of Corrections will not accept any item mailed into a correctional facility other than letters or photographs. Residents may purchase postage only through their facility’s canteen. The Department does not allow a resident to receive stamps. 

Please note that any incoming or outgoing mail other than legal, official or privileged mail may be inspected or read at any time in accordance with KAR 44-12-601. 

Incoming resident mail should be addressed as follows:  

Remember to include the resident’s KDOC registration number with the resident’s full name in the address of the correspondence or the mail will not be delivered. The envelope also must contain the sender’s name and address as well or the letter will not be delivered. 

You may check a resident’s location and status on the Department’s Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER). Facility mailing addresses are available from the facilities index.

For more information about resident mail, please review Kansas Administrative Regulation (K.A.R.) 44-12-601, Resident Writing and Other Resident Communications or Publications. Also, Internal Management Policy and Procedure (IMPP) 12-120 Security and Control: Control of Resident Personal Property provides additional information.

All residents may send and receive mail. Residents may receive letters, post cards, photographs and non-musical greeting cards. Please note that all letters are subject to being read and to inspection for illegal or unauthorized items.

How do I know where to address a letter?
A resident’s location can be found through the Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER) through the KDOC’s website at www.doc.ks.gov/kasper. Once you have identified the facility where the resident is housed, look up the correctional facility mailing addresse here.

How do I address a letter?
Click here to see an example of how to address a letter.

Can I send stamps to a resident?
No. Residents may not receive stamps through the mail. Stamps, envelopes and paper can be purchased through the facility’s canteen, a store through which residents are provided an opportunity to purchase allowable items.

Can I send a magazine or book?
Yes, but the items must be mailed directly from the publisher or vendor. Once the item leaves the store, you will not be able to mail it to the correctional facility. Many people find that websites, like Amazon.com, are a good way to purchase the books and have them mailed directly to the resident. If you purchase a book at a bookstore, ask the bookstore to mail it to the resident. Books may be either paperback or hard cover. Magazines and newspaper subscriptions are also an option.

However, a resident may receive printed material, including newspaper and magazine clippings, if the material is included as part of a first-class letter that does not exceed one ounce in total weight.

Each resident is allowed to have 12 books and 10 magazines in their cell. When a resident reaches the limit, the resident must remove items to allow more to be sent in. A resident can mail them home, donate the materials to charity or throw them away.

The correctional facility will review the reading materials and will censor materials that are determined to be a security threat, are of a sexually explicit nature or contain nudity. The facility will not allow role playing games or books related to those games.

The decision made by the staff of the designated facility may be appealed by a resident to the Secretary of Corrections or, at the direction of the Secretary, to the Secretary’s designee.

Can I send photographs?
Yes. Residents are allowed to keep up to 10 personal letters and 50 photographs (8X10 or smaller). Polaroid photographs are not allowed.

Why was my letter returned as containing sexually explicit content?
No resident may possess any sexually explicit materials, including drawings, paintings, writing, pictures, items and devices. The material is considered sexually explicit if the purpose of the material is sexual arousal or gratification and the material meets either of the following conditions:

1. Contains nudity or
2. Contains any display, actual or simulated, or description of sexual intercourse.

Why was my mail returned to me as censored?
When mail is censored or rejected, the sender, if known, is notified of the reason for the action and provided with an opportunity to appeal the decision.

Some common reasons why mail is withheld are:

• Does not include full name and address of sender.
• Homemade cards with stickers or other items glued to the paper.
• Laminated cards.
• Bookmarks.
• Inappropriate photographs such as:
• Photographs with nudity, guns, alcohol or gang signs.
• Correspondence between offenders.
• Correspondence through a third party.
• Sexually explicit language or other inappropriate content.
• Promotes illegal activity.

What if I don't want to have contact with an inmate?
If a resident contacts you and you do not want contact with him/her, the facility can issue an “Order to Cease Correspondence” to the resident. If you have safety concerns or are a victim of the resident, please contact the Office of Victim Services at 1-866-404-6732.

For more information about resident mail, please review Kansas Administrative Regulation (K.A.R.) 44-12-601, Inmate Writing and Other Inmate Communications or Publications. Also, Internal Management Policy and Procedure (IMPP) 12-120 Secuirty and Control: Control of Inmate Personal Property provides additional information.

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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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