Justice Reinvestment in Kansas: Analyses & Policy Options to Reduce Spending on Corrections & Reinvest in Strategies to Increase Public Safety
In June 2012, Governor Sam Brownback, Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Ray Roberts, and House and Senate leaders requested technical assistance from the Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG Justice Center). They sought to employ a data-driven “justice reinvestment” approach to develop a statewide policy frame work that would reduce spending on corrections and reinvest resulting savings in strategies that increase public safety. Assistance provided by the CSG Justice Center was made possible through a partnership with and funding from the Pew Center on the States Public Safety Performance Project and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Few receive training in Kansas prisons. Thaddeus Watts is one of the lucky ones.
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Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett is leading efforts to safely improve Kansas’s approach to sentencing, supervision, behavioral…
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Through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, Kansas Rep. Stephen Owens is helping lead work with other criminal justice stakeholders…
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Thaddeus Watts Has “Been Through the Storm.” Workforce Training Helped Him Weather It.
Few receive training in Kansas prisons. Thaddeus Watts is one of the lucky ones.
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WATCH: A Career Prosecuting Violent Crimes Gives District Attorney Perspective on Drug-Related Offenses
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett is leading efforts to safely improve Kansas’s approach to sentencing, supervision, behavioral health, and reentry as part of the state’s participation in the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
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WATCH: Facing Budget Shortfall, Kansas Rep. Owens Says Criminal Justice Changes Could Be Solution
Through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, Kansas Rep. Stephen Owens is helping lead work with other criminal justice stakeholders to improve outcomes for people in Kansas’s criminal justice system, disrupt the cycle of recidivism, and find savings to offset recent fiscal losses.
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Kansas Criminal Justice Reform Commission Approves Recommendations
The Kansas Criminal Justice Reform Commission voted on final policy recommendations to help maintain public safety while being responsive to the state’s budget deficit. They approved all but one recommendation.
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Advancing Justice in a Year of Crisis: Our 2020 Annual Report
State and local justice systems faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. We look back at our year of creating successes in the midst of hardship and building consensus despite conflict.
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Federal Spending and Pandemic Relief Package Signed into Law
Congress recently approved a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package for 2021 and a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package.
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