Department of Corrections tells committee vacancies are down but population is rising toward capacity
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Summary
The department reported improved staffing after multi‑year pay investments, ongoing contraband problems, expanding education/work programs, a nursery pilot at Topeka, and capacity projections that could require new beds for women by 2028 and men by 2029; the department also paused a community corrections funding formula rollout and will contract an external reviewer.
The Department of Corrections told the Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice that staffing has improved following several years of pay investments but system population is rising and will meet current bed capacity within a few years unless trends change.
Mister Secretary (Department of Corrections) said the agency has "just, slightly over, 3,500 authorized positions" with nearly 60% uniform or security roles and described vacancy improvements from about 460 uniform vacancies in January 2022 to roughly 165–185 vacancies most recently, attributing gains to base pay increases and pay differentials funded by the state and legislature.
On population, the secretary said the system was near 10,100 adults pre‑pandemic, dropped to about 8,300 in March 2022, and was currently about 9,700 — an increase of roughly 1,400 since March 2022. He showed capacity figures with total bed capacity at 10,892 and said projections intersect that capacity around late 2028–2029 (women nearer 2028, men nearer 2029), which would create a need for added beds if projections hold.
The department previewed capital projects it expects to pursue: a Topeka support services building (design nearing completion, bid expected this spring, construction this summer), replacement of the Hutchinson central unit as a larger rebuild with additional capacity, and converting a warehouse at the women’s facility to work‑release beds. The secretary noted recent increases in deferred‑maintenance funding that will address backlog repairs.
Contraband was highlighted as a major operational problem. The secretary listed common introduction pathways — wall throws/drone drops, manipulated mail and packages (including falsified retail boxes), visitors, contractors and staff, and delivery trucks for food and private industry partners — and described mitigation steps including mail scanning, clear backpacks, package scanners, targeted canine searches by law enforcement partners, an upcoming RFP for body scanners at entrance points, investigations and personnel accountability, and referrals for criminal prosecution when appropriate.
On programming, the department reported growth in education and work opportunities after the reintroduction of Pell eligibility: 40 programs with industry certifications or degrees, 3,600 enrolled students and 1,250 degrees/certifications in 2021–2025, and about 1,100 residents in private industry work programs. The department also described a planned nursery pilot at Topeka Correctional Facility (about six beds), with eligibility tied to training, good behavior, classification and behavioral‑health approval, and an on‑site birth requirement within roughly 18 months of release.
The secretary said the department paused rollout of a new community corrections funding formula after stakeholders raised equity and transparency concerns; the department will contract a national outside party (the Council of State Governments was referenced) to help modernize the Community Corrections Act (1978) and produce recommendations with stakeholder involvement.
Operational and legal items discussed included phase‑2 glitches in a new offender management system (the department is troubleshooting), the incoming procurement for the health‑care contract (current contract expires June 30, RFP in progress with nine interested parties, anticipated award in April), a documents bill the agency plans to propose to provide IDs on release, and requests to clarify jail‑time credit and representation in habeas corpus cases following court decisions.
Committee members asked detailed questions: how juvenile and women’s placements are handled (the secretary distinguished classification from placement and said the department assigns housing based on safety and custody level), whether transgender individuals are housed at Topeka (the secretary said one person who had gender‑affirming surgery is at Topeka and segregated for safety), how supervision and parole office contact occur (virtual and off‑hours options to reduce barriers), the status of a wild horse program at Hutchinson (the Bureau of Land Management notified the department it is ending the program and will remove horses the department currently houses), and whether jamming cell signals (FCC discussion) could affect radios (the secretary said he was not a technical expert and agreed radio impacts would be a concern).
The committee set a joint hearing on the Hutchinson Correctional Facility with Building Construction and Public Safety for one week later.
