Keywords
kansas, jail inspections, prison reform
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Accountability in the corrections system is essential to protecting the well-being and safety of inmates. To provide a better understanding of the methods of ensuring the humane treatment of inmates, this article traces the history of Kansas’s jail inspection policy, beginning with passage of the state’s 1973 jail inspection statute. An examination of the legislative history of Kansas’s inspection statute and jail inspection reports, in addition to oral history interviews with corrections officials, reveals that the statute was effective in providing accountability and producing measurable improvements in jail conditions. The history of Kansas’s jail inspection statute, including its repeal in 1996, also reveals that the statute’s failure to address key issues undermined the overall effectiveness of the legislation. A survey and evaluation of other states’ jail inspection statutes provides guidance so that moving forward, states considering implementing inspection statutes will know what issues an inspection statute should address.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.21428/b6e95092.1f0a8909
Recommended Citation
Worsely, Melanie K. and Memmer, Amy
(2017)
"Transparency Behind Bars: A History of Kansas Jail Inspections, Current Practices, and Possible Reform,"
Journal of Criminal Justice and Law: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21428/b6e95092.1f0a8909
Available at:
https://research.library.kutztown.edu/jcjl/vol1/iss2/1