After Recent Escape, Kansas Discusses Policy Change

TOPEKA, Kan. — A recent escape by four inmates from Ottawa County Jail in Minneapolis, Kan., sparked a proposal by lawmakers to restrict the types of inmates the Kansas Department of Corrections could house in county jails. However, the amendment was rejected with a 79-41 vote.

The escapees included one convicted murderer and three other inmates that were being held at the county jail due to overcrowding at the Kansas State Prison in Ellsworth, according to department spokesman Jeremy Barclay.

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Kansas and Washington Face Overcrowding

TOPEKA, Kan. — States throughout the U.S. are experiencing record high incarceration rates — including Kansas. The state’s Department of Corrections is addressing the issue and working on predicting where more problems could lie in the future.

There are currently 8,635 inmates housed in Kansas and the number continues to grow. The average men’s jail exceeds capacity by over 250 inmates and women’s facilities are reaching capacity quickly.

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Meeting Scheduled for Kansas Federal Prison Project

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The Federal Bureau of Prisons will hold a public meeting next week in Leavenworth on a proposal to build a new medium-security correctional facility on the grounds of the existing U.S. penitentiary.

The proposed facility would have 1,100 beds and would become part of a 3,600-inmate correctional complex that includes the penitentiary.

Residents will be allowed to voice their concerns and offer input at the meeting before the environmental impact study for the project’s prospective sites begins.

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A LEED Lockup

Project Data
Facility Type: Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Construction Budget: $92.5 million
Number of Beds: 512
Area (square feet): 190,553
Start Date: April 15, 2008
Completion Date: June 25, 2010
 
Project Team
Owner/Operator: US Army Corps of Engineers
Owner Representative: Michael Chirpich
Architectural Firm(s): HSMM/AECOM
General Contractor: J.E.

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