The Kansas State Prison System

The Kansas State Prison system is made up of 12 correctional and rehabilitation facilities. These institutions were created and maintained to house individuals (adults and juveniles) when they break the state criminal laws. The Kansas State Judiciary uses the prison system to make lawbreakers accountable for their actions. On conviction for a crime, a criminal may be forcibly confined in these facilities and denied a variety of liberties as punishment. More importantly, through the prison system, the Kansas State government focuses on rehabilitating these offenders by providing a broad array of mental health, substance abuse, and educational programs for inmates.

The Kansas Department of Corrections is the public agency tasked with managing these state-run facilities. It maintains order in the facilities across the state by creating operational guidelines adopted by the governing officials and confined inmates. Additionally, the department accounts for each inmate in the prison system by maintaining inmate records that contain the offenders’ history with the state criminal justice system. These records are available on request to members of the public according to the state public records law.

What is the Difference Between Jail and Prison in Kansas?

There are local jails and prisons in the Kansas State Prison System that serve similar but different purposes. While both facilities are used to hold forcibly detained individuals who have committed crimes against the state, they are operated by different state government levels. The jails are operated by the county or municipal governments under the county sheriff’s jurisdiction and supervision. They are usually smaller than prisons because they serve smaller populations and are designed for shorter stays. Also, offenders detained in jails are generally individuals who have committed relatively minor offenses or people awaiting a bail or transfer to a prison facility.

In contrast, Kansas State prisons are designed to hold criminals convicted of serious crimes and felonies. These individuals are usually sentenced to more than one year in detention. Hence, prisons are designed for more extended stays than jails. Due to this reason, prisons generally offer rehabilitative services to their population. Also, they are usually operated at the state or federal level.

How Many Prisons are in Kansas?

There are 12 correctional facilities in the Kansas State Prison System. These include eight adult correctional facilities, three satellite correctional facilities, and one juvenile correctional and rehabilitation facility.

• El Dorado Correctional center
• Ellsworth Correctional center
• Hutchinson Correctional center
• Kansas Juvenile Correctional complex
• Lansing Correctional center
• Larned Correctional Mental Health center
• Norton Correctional center
• Oswego correctional center
• Topeka Women’s Correctional center
• United State Penitentiary Leavenworth
• Winfield Correctional center
• Wichita Work Release center

How do I search for an Inmate in Kansas State Prison?

Information regarding inmates incarcerated in any Kansas State Prison is available on the Kansas Department of Corrections main website. Users of the webpage can gather information on an inmate’s location and status via the criminal justice information database, Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER). The repository provides valid and updated information because it is updated regularly. When used, it gives details on inmates that are currently incarcerated, those who have been discharged from their court-ordered sentence, and offenders under supervision.

The database would contain information of inmates in the Secretary of Corrections’ custody since the year 1980 unless the conviction was removed or expunged.

Typically, inquirers can use this searchable site by providing the inmate’s name or KDOC number. Other times, they can be required to provide additional information to filter the results. These include, race, age, gender, facility, etc.,.

In addition to locating an inmate within the state prison system, a search through the KASPER database provides the following additional information on an inmate;

• Inmate’s full name
• Physical description, including photo
• Inmate’s DOC registration number
• Details surrounding inmate’s conviction
• Release date
• Disciplinary record
• Housing location

The department can als provide answers to other questions inquirers might have about the inmate. Such questions should be directed to the sentence computation unit via e-mail or by calling (785) 296–3317.

An inmate’s location is part of the inmate’s criminal record. That is, users may be able to locate an inmate in the state prison system by viewing the individual’s criminal history abstract or rap sheet. The data provided in this document is usually gathered from the police departments, sheriff’s offices, prosecutors, and courts throughout Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is the agency that grants the public access to criminal records. Through their website, users can perform instant criminal record checks daily for $20 only.. However, to use this service, inquirers will need to register with KanAccess, a government access portal.

Are Incarceration Records Public in Kansas?

Yes, incarceration and inmate records in Kansas are public records. According to Kansas Open Records Act (K. S. A. 45–221), incarceration records maintained by jails and prison facilities in Kansas State are subject to disclosure. Hence, public agencies’ legal duty is to release and disseminate these records to the public according to their specific rights and entitlements.

KORA mandates that access be granted to inquirers without explicit reason. However, if the request is not under the terms of the act, or the record is sealed by court order, it might not be made public.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Kansas?

Kansas state is made up of 105 counties, and most of these counties have a local jail. These local jails maintain and disseminate records about inmates incarcerated within them. Therefore, according to state laws, unless the record is exempted by law or court order, these jails must provide the records on request. Also, in addition to using the Kansas State Department of Corrections searchable feature to view public jail records, inquirers can directly request jail records from the incarceration facility or the Sheriff’s office that manages the facility’s operations. Other times, local jails may provide inmate search features online. These display general information about inmates, and users can lookup jail records using this medium.

Can Jail Records be Expunged in Kansas?

Yes, certain jail records can be expunged from an individual’s criminal history record in Kansas State. An expungement in Kansas State seals or removes a record of arrest or conviction from public view, but it does not completely delete it. Instead, the expunged record remains visible and accessible to specific state agencies for official purposes.

Any record that an inmate or offender wants to expunge must meet the state expungement statutes criteria.

If it is an arrest record (Kansas revised statutes §§ 22–2410, 12–4516) with no conviction, it can be expunged if:

• The arrest was a mistake by the arresting agency
• The court found no probable cause for the arrest
• The defendant was found not guilty in a court

No waiting period applies to the arrest records.

If it is a criminal conviction record, it can be expunged if the waiting time has expired. Usually, the waiting period for most non-violent misdemeanors and felonies is 2–3 years. After this has passed and the individual has no pending sentences and no new or pending convictions, the court may expunge the record. This condition only applies to minor offenses and traffic violations. Certain criminal convictions cannot be expunged under state law. Examples are murder, manslaughter, sexual battery, rape, sexual exploitation of a child, child abuse, etc.

After the criteria have been met, the individual must file a petition with the sentencing court. Afterward, the court will determine eligibility for expungement. If the judge approves the expungement, the court’s clerk will mail a certified copy to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The department then processes the expungement for 2–4 weeks. Eventually, the individual’s criminal history record will be updated to exclude the expunged record.