Analysis Area 1: Analyze crime trends, including recent increases in violent crime, to help the state understand the impacts of these trends on the criminal justice system, and maintain recent changes that make more effective use of corrections resources, including prison space.
Background: The June 2020 prison population report in Kansas shows that state prisons are operating at 91 percent of capacity. But this figure masks the reality that as recently as March 2020, Kansas prisons were reported to be operating at 100 percent of capacity by the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC). And, prior to the dramatic population declines from 10,031 people in March 2020 to 9,189 in June 2020, the prison population was projected to increase 14 percent by fiscal year (FY) 2029, costing the state an estimated $209 million. Kansas had the seventh-largest violent crime rate increase in the nation between 2010 and 2018, and people sentenced to prison for violent offenses made up more than half of the prison population in FY2019.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continued discussions in August with law enforcement representatives, county attorneys, court staff, and domestic and sexual violence advocacy organizations to better identify the local drivers of increases in reported violent crime in rural and urban communities in Kansas. Additionally, staff began to assess current strategies being employed statewide to prevent violent crime, respond to violent crime incidents, help victims recover, and to use violent crime data in actionable ways.
Analysis Area 2: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of community supervision to understand the causes of recidivism and technical violations that result in jail and prison admissions and strengthen community supervision by expanding resources to improve supervision success rates.
Background: Sending people to prison for community supervision sanctions, violations, and revocations has historically contributed substantially to prison population pressures in Kansas. In FY2019, two-thirds of all prison admissions were due to probation sanctions and violations (46 percent) or violations of parole (20 percent). The majority of these admissions were for violations of supervision conditions or supervision sanctions, rather than for new offenses. Breaking these numbers down by sex reveals that nearly two-thirds of women admitted to prison in FY2019 were admitted for probation sanctions or violations, compared to fewer than half of men. Ultimately, people returning to prison due to supervision violations is expensive and consumes state dollars and resources that could be allocated for more effective public safety responses to supervision violations.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continued discussions with members from the Community Supervision working group to understand opportunities for improving current policies. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff convened meetings with KDOC leadership, reentry staff, community supervision leadership, directors and officers across Court Services, Community Corrections, and Parole.
Analysis Area 3: Assess the state’s response to people in the criminal justice system with behavioral health needs and identify opportunities for decreasing recidivism by helping people succeed upon release to the community.
Background: Gaps in Kansas’s behavioral health infrastructure, including a lack of hospital beds statewide and limited community mental health center access in rural areas, place pressure on Kansas’s prisons. When people are unable to access mental health resources, law enforcement and the courts often rely on incarceration to remove them from the community to ensure both individual and community safety, often with the unfulfilled hope that these people will receive needed treatment while incarcerated. Between FY2016 and FY2019, the number of people in prison with a serious mental health need increased nearly three times faster than the total prison population in Kansas. One-third (33 percent) of the people in prison in FY2019 had an identified mental health need, including 10 percent who were identified as having a severe and persistent mental illness.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continued discussions with members from the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment subcommittee. CSG Justice Center staff also engaged with key behavioral health staff at KDOC, KDADS, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and community-based stakeholders.
Analysis Area 4: Assess the state’s current reentry efforts for expanding paths to successful employment, in part by increasing post-secondary education opportunities for incarcerated people and ensuring housing support after release, including for those who have mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and other special needs.
Background: The majority of people released from prison each year need some type of programming or services: 75 percent need programming to address criminal thinking and social skills, 75 percent need substance use and recovery programming, 75 percent need education or employment services, and 20 percent need housing support. Due to limited KDOC capacity, however, access to these services varies widely and many people return to the community without receiving the assistance they need.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continued discussions with members from the Community Supervision working group and the Reentry subcommittee of the Commission. CSG Justice Center staff also engaged with key reentry and community-based stakeholders including housing and workforce providers.
Other Updates:
There is strong support, particularly from the Commission and its legislative members, for extending the Commission for another year. The Commission is scheduled to end in December after their final report is delivered to the legislature.
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• 8/04: Call with the KCJRC Reentry Subcommittee to provide an update on JRI plans and to solicit feedback on Housing/Employment Assessment Plans.
• 8/04: Call with Victim Services Director (KDOC) and Director of Victim Services (Attorney General’s Office) to further discuss Wichita domestic violence, the Batterer’s Intervention Program, and challenges and areas for improvement.
• 8/05: Call with Statewide Supportive Housing Family, Services Specialist (KDOC) to understand current housing procedures/resources, explore challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
• 8/5: Call with Director of Health Care Compliance (KDOC) and the doctor who monitors mental health care in KDOC to understand current behavioral health procedures/resources and explore challenges and recommendations for improvement.
• 8/5: Call with the KCJRC Diversion/Supervision/Specialty Courts/Specialty Prisons Subcommittee to hear updates on progress to date and to provide an update on the JRI assessment.
• 8/6: Call with Legislative Liaison (Governor’s Office) to discuss a communications plan for press release and to assess the political landscape from the governor’s office.
• 8/7: Call with the KCJRC Proportionality/Guidelines Subcommittee to hear updates on progress to date and to provide an update on the JRI assessment.
• 8/7: Call with the KCJRC Supervision Working Group to hear updates on progress to date and to provide an update on the JRI assessment.
• 8/7: Call with District Attorney (Sedgwick County & Chair, KCJRC) to provide updates on assessment activities, solicit feedback on key prosecutors to connect with, and solicit thoughts on domestic violence issues in Wichita and across the state.
• 8/10: Call with Director of Victim Services (Attorney General’s Office) to further discuss the victim services landscape in Kansas, drivers of domestic violence, and challenges related to providing support to victims of crime in Wichita.
• 8/10: Call with Executive Director (Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition) and Continuum of Care Program Director (Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/10: Call with the full KCJRC to hear updates on subcommittee progress, next steps for the commission, and to provide a brief update on JRI assessment activities.
• 8/10: Call with Public Service Executive (Kansas Department of Commerce) and Program Manager & Alternative Workforce Specialist (Kansas Department of Commerce) to understand the current education/employment landscape and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/11: Call with Programs Director (KDOC) to understand current KDOC programming, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/11: Call with Sheriff (Ford County Sheriff and Second Vice President of the Kansas Sheriff’s Association) to understand current behavioral health/law enforcement procedures and strategies being employed statewide to prevent violent crime.
• 8/11: Call with Commissioner of Behavioral Health Sciences (KDADS), SUD/Problem Gambling Project Coordinator (KDADS) and Mental Health Program Manager (KDADS) to understand current behavioral health/law enforcement procedures and strategies being employed statewide to prevent violent crime.
• 8/12: Call with Executive Director of Programs & Risk Reduction (KDOC) and Education Director (KDOC) to continue discussions and understand current KDOC contracts for higher education, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/12: Call with the KCJRC Supervision Working Group to hear updates on progress to date and to provide an update on the JRI assessment.
• 8/13: Call with Andi Allen (Director, Northern Parole, KDOC) to discuss parole supervision patterns and trends, challenges, and recent changes to practice with the goal of informing JRI in Kansas.
• 8/13: Call with the KCJRC Race and Criminal Justice System Subcommittee to hear updates on subcommittee progress.
• 8/13: Call with Director of Client Services (Wichita Family Crisis Center) to discuss the victim services landscape in Kansas, drivers of DV, and challenges related to providing support to victims of crime in Wichita.
• 8/14: Call with Deputy Secretary of Juvenile/Adult Community-Based Services (KDOC), Community Corrections Director (KDOC), and Executive Director of Programs & Risk Reduction (KDOC) to discuss patterns, trends, and challenges in community supervision from their perspectives, including their experiences with the process of reform over the past year as well as any recent changes to community supervision.
• 8/17: Call with Executive Director (StepStone), and Program Director (StepStone) to discuss the victim services landscape in Kansas, drivers of DV, and challenges related to providing support to victims of crime.
• 8/17: Call with Kansas Supportive Housing for Offenders Program Coordinator (KDOC) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/17: Call with President and CEO (Workforce Alliance) and Vice President & Chief Business Development Officer (Workforce Alliance) to understand local reentry employment efforts and challenges in Sedgwick county.
• 8/17: Call with Prison Review Board Chair (KDOC) to discuss patterns, trends, and challenges in parole supervision, including experiences with the process of reform over the past year as well as changes to community supervision since March 2020 to inform the Kansas JRI project.
• 8/17: Call with President (KS Consortium for Correctional Higher Education and Associate Dean/Director of Business Education Training Analysis [BETA Butler] Community College) to understand the current education/employment landscape and programming, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/18: Call with Administrator (Kansas Governor’s Grant Program), Attorney (Kansas Governor’s Grant Program), and Director of Programs (Kansas Governor’s Grant Program) to understand the current landscape of victim service providers in Kansas, how the state supports victims through its VOCA/VAWA funding, and how the state prioritizes funding for vulnerable victim populations.
• 8/18: Call with Director (Research and Behavioral Analytics, KDOC), Victims Services Director (KDOC), Director of Reentry Services (KDOC), Programs Director (KDOC), and Parole Policy and Staff Development (KDOC) to discuss KDOC administrative practices and policies that impact reentry, community supervision, and continuous quality improvement with the goal of informing JRI in Kansas.
• 8/18: Call with Executive Director (Kansas Coalition against Sexual Violence), Legal and Policy Director (Kansas Coalition against Sexual Violence), and Kansas Coalition against Sexual Violence to understand the current landscape of victims service providers in Kansas, vulnerable victim populations, and challenges that victim service providers are seeing on the ground as they support survivors.
• 8/19: Call with Topeka Housing Specialist (KDOC), Kansas City Housing Specialist (KDOC), and Wichita Housing Specialist (KDOC) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/19: Call with Community Corrections Directors from the “Big Six” Supervising Districts— Sedgwick County, Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Shawnee County, Saline County, and Reno County—to discuss patterns and trends, challenges in court services community supervision, as well as recent changes to practice with the goal of informing JRI in Kansas.
• 8/19: Call with Court Services Chiefs from the “Big Six” Supervising Districts—Sedgwick County, Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Shawnee County, Saline County, and Reno County—to discuss patterns and trends, challenges in court services community supervision, as well as recent changes to practice with the goal of informing JRI in Kansas.
• 8/20: Call with Director (Topeka Housing Authority) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/20: Call with Secretary (KDOC) to understand current KDOC challenges, and potential recommendations for improvement.
• 8/20: Call with Medicaid Inspector General (Kansas Department of Health and Environment) to understand the current behavioral health procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/20: Call with Director of Trial Court Programs (Office of Judicial Administration [OJA]) and Court Services Specialist (OJA) to discuss patterns, trends, and challenges in court services supervision from their perspectives, including their experiences with the process of reform over the past year as well as the impact of recent practice and policy changes on community supervision.
• 8/20: Call with Chief Court Services Officer (2nd Judicial District) to discuss Court Supervision patterns and trends, challenges, and recent changes to practice with the goal of informing JRI in Kansas.
• 8/20: Call with the KCJRC Diversion Working Group to hear updates on progress to date.
• 8/21: Call with Kansas Workforce One to understand current efforts to increase the economic mobility of the justice-involved population in western Kansas.
• 8/21: Call with Director (Central Kansas Mental Health Center) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/24: Call with Representative (R) (District 122) to discuss JRI updates and to assess the political landscape.
• 8/24: Call with KS Courts to discuss the availability of community programming across the state, how program availability may impact judicial decisions, successes and failures of specialty courts, how judges may handle domestic violence issues, recommendations to improve consistency statewide and the greatest needs regarding mental health and substance use issues in the state.
• 8/24: Call with Senior Associate Director for Adult Education (Kansas Board of Regents) to understand current Kansas efforts for higher education, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/24: Call with Senator (R) (District 24) to discuss JRI updates and to assess the political landscape.
• 8/24: Call with Chief (Chief of the Hesston Police Department and President, KS Association of Chiefs of Police) to understand current behavioral health/law enforcement procedures and strategies being employed statewide to prevent violent crime, with the hopes of developing recommendations for improvement.
• 8/24: Call with KDADS/Department of Children and Families to discuss ways for improving access to education and employment opportunities by expanding access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
• 8/25: Call with Offender Workforce Development Specialist Coordinator (Workforce Alliance) to understand current efforts and challenges to increasing the economic mobility of the justice-involved population in Kansas.
• 8/26: Call with the KCJRC Supervision Working Group to hear updates on progress to date and to provide an update on the JRI assessment.
• 8/26: Call with Chief Executive Officer (Valeo Behavioral Health Care) to understand current behavioral health procedures/resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/26: Call with Public Member of the Sentencing Commission and former Republican in the legislature to discuss JRI updates and to assess the political landscape.
• 8/27: Call with Assistant County Administrator (Douglas County) and Criminal Justice Coordinator (Douglas County) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/27: Call with Assistant Revisor of Statutes (Legislature of the State of Kansas) to provide technical assistance regarding legislative strategies other states have used as part of JRI.
• 8/27: Call with Sheriff (President, Kansas Sheriff’s Association) to understand current behavioral health/law enforcement procedures and strategies being employed statewide to prevent violent crime, with the hopes of developing recommendations for improvement.
• 8/27: Call with Housing Specialist (Horizons Mental Health Center) to understand current housing procedures and resources, explore challenges, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• 8/28: Call with Executive Director (Kansas Board of Cosmetology) and Assistant Director (Kansas Board of Cosmetology) to discuss JRI, learn about current cosmetology licensing procedures with regards to considering people with criminal convictions and changes that have occurred to procedures as a result of state statutes.
• 8/28: Call with DCF staff to discuss SNAP and TANF benefits in Kansas including service provision and the implementation of the felony ban.
• 8/28: Call with KDOC Parole Supervisors in the “Big Six” Supervising Districts—Sedgwick County, Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Shawnee County, Saline County, and Reno County—to discuss supervision challenges and strategies to improve success on supervision with the goal of informing JRI in Kansas.
In August, CSG Justice Center research staff analyzed prison, probation, and parole data from KDOC, focusing on activity and trends for drug offenses, nonviolent offenses, and supervision condition violations. Research staff analyzed probation revocation hearing and sentencing data from the Kansas Sentencing Commission, assisted with edits to the Overview Report, and developed slides and reports summarizing the results of data analysis conducted to date.
2020-08-03 Analysis of Kansas Sentencing Commission data - probation revocation hearings and felony sentences.
2020-08-04 Review and respond to comments and edits to the Overview Report and provide additional numbers as needed
2020-08-05 Analysis of Kansas Department of Corrections data - community corrections terminations, parole discharges, and prison admissions.
2020-08-10 Analysis of Kansas Department of Corrections data - community corrections terminations, prison admissions and releases, and program participation.
2020-08-12 Compile published data on crime and prison admissions for CY2020 to-date and summarize current trends compared to the first 6 months of 2019.
2020-08-13 Create slides summarizing analysis relevant to potential policy recommendations
2020-08-17 Analysis of Kansas Department of Corrections data - community corrections terminations, population snapshot, and sanctions; prison program participation and sentence length.
2020-08-19 Create slides summarizing published numbers on SB123 drug treatment sentences in Kansas
2020-08-19 Analysis of Kansas Sentencing Commission data - probation revocation hearings and felony sentences.
2020-08-24 Analysis of Kansas Department of Corrections data - sentence details and risk levels for prison admissions.
2020-08-25 Analysis of Kansas Sentencing Commission data - felony probation and jail sentences.
2020-08-26 Calculate estimated incarceration costs for specific groups, based on analysis of prison data and published cost figures.
2020-08-27 Create slides summarizing analysis of prison admissions for drug offenses
2020-08-31 Analysis of Kansas Sentencing Commission data - felony probation and jail sentences; Kansas Department of Corrections data - prison admissions.
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