KDOC highlights education, work-release and reentry programs; proposes career campus and mother–infant nursery

Secretary Zamuda told the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice on Jan. 14 that the department is expanding educational and vocational programming, private-industry partnerships and work-release options as part of a broader reentry strategy.

"95% of our incarcerated population will one day return to the community," Zamuda told the committee, stressing the importance of education and job training to reduce recidivism. The department reported partnerships with 10 higher-education institutions, increased annual student enrollment in recent years (from an average of about 375 students per year historically to roughly 679 per year in 2020–2024) and a rise in degrees and certifications offered.

Nut graf: KDOC said investments in education and work experience — including private-industry jobs, culinary certification through its food service contractor and a newly opened substance-abuse recovery work-release campus — are intended to help returning citizens obtain livable-wage work, which the department linked to lower reoffending rates.

KDOC described several program highlights: on-site gardens that contribute to facility food service; a Wheels of the World program that refurbishes wheelchairs; a culinary certificate offered via contractor Aramark; and partnerships that allow residents to work off-site in private-industry placements. The department said private-industry employers generally pay incarcerated workers at rates similar to community wages and that the jobs sometimes lead to employment upon release.

The department opened an East Campus at Lansing in October as a 200‑bed substance-use recovery and work-release unit. KDOC also operates a downtown Wichita residential work-release site with about 254 beds and a small women’s work-release component in Topeka (about 20 beds). During questions, Representative John Carmichael asked whether the department would decentralize work-release capacity; Zamuda said Wichita remains a regional hub but that the department is pursuing more regional placement options as feasible.

KDOC outlined a proposed $40 million career campus at Lansing designed to partner with foundations and private funders (using a nonprofit vehicle authorized in statute and matched by state budgeting) to expand vocational training and ease transitions to employment. The department also said it has been discussing a nursery program at the Topeka women's facility, noting that a handful of other states operate similar models and that proponents say the approach can help mother–child bonding and reduce intergenerational cycles of incarceration.

Keith Bradshaw described juvenile-services funding and grants, noting a portion of juvenile services budget supports education at the juvenile facility and another portion comprises grants to community corrections agencies. He referenced the Evidence Based Programs Fund created via Senate Bill 367 (2016) as a source of funds that supports community interventions for youth.

Ending: Committee members thanked KDOC for the overview and asked follow-up questions about the location of work-release facilities, pay and savings arrangements for residents, and community capacity to absorb returning citizens. No formal votes were taken at the briefing.