Educational Programs at Correctional Facilities

Pathway for Success

The Kansas Department of Corrections’ (KDOC) strategic plan, Pathways for Success, envisions transforming lives for the safety of all. The core parts to this vision include:

Investing in individuals by providing opportunities to acquire new experiences and skills to support personal and professional advancement and future success;
Creating an environment for change and well-being by designing systems that encourage positive behaviors, healthy choices, and self-improvement; and
Engaging and strengthening partnerships with individuals and organizations within communities to support the KDOC mission.

Research and Data

According to the agency, leading research shows those who achieve sustained livable-wage employment return to prison one-third less often. The rate of attaining a sustained livable-wage job upon release increases:

• By 6.0 percent if the person completes a General Education Diploma (GED);
• By 8.0 percent if the person completes a Career Technical Education (CTE) program;
• By 20.0 percent if the person completes one college course; or
• By 25.0 percent if the person holds an industry job six months or longer while incarcerated.

Education and Employment Services Provided by KDOC

KDOC provides adult education and GED completion courses. The agency formed the Kansas Consortium of Corrections Higher Education in 2019. Pell Grant funding is utilized by ten college partners to make higher education available at all KDOC facilities. Kansas was the first state to provide this opportunity at every correctional facility.

There are 40 private-industry partners and 12 correctional-industry partners employing approximately 1,414 residents (17.0 percent of all residents). Wages average from $12 to $15 per hour.

Residents use this income to pay fines, fees, restitution, and save for release. They learn job skills and build a resume for future employment.

KDOC secured over $8.3 million from grants and State General Fund moneys for technology to support resident access to education and job skill training. This included equipment for higher education, Wi-Fi for residents, tablets for GED work, virtual welders, and virtual commercial driver’s license (CDL) training.

Federal Pell Grants

In December 2020, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act passed, which included the restoration of Pell Grants for students incarcerated in federal or state penal institutions and students who are subject to involuntary commitments.

Prior to restoration of Pell Grant eligibility, over the past 20 years, less than 10.0 percent of resident students received degrees or certifications at Kansas correctional facilities. In the past three years, approximately 653 students per year, or 42.0 percent of resident students, received degrees or certifications.

Lansing Career Campus

A coalition of more than 14 public, nonprofit, and private entities from the Kansas City metro area are collaborating to fund, build, and equip a 4,500-square-foot training facility on the Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) grounds. All LCF residents will be eligible for training and education. Some residents with long sentences can receive training to become peer tutors. Individual education and employment plans will be created so residents enter the program at the appropriate time in relation to their release date. Businesses are invited to give input on program content and may hire graduates upon release.

Hutchinson Correctional Facility

A new 30,000-square-foot Kansas Correctional Industries (KCI) building was recently constructed on the grounds of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility to allow existing industry partners to expand and new partnerships to be established that will increase opportunities for residents.

Topeka Correctional Facility and Private-Industry Partners

At the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF), there are approximately 70 residents working with a private-industry partner to produce various products, many of which require sewing skills. Due to success over the past two years, the company is considering the addition of a second shift of workers at the TCF plant.

Currently, there are approximately 1,300 adult residents employed by more than 40 private-industry partners associated with KDOC, such as Great Plains Manufacturing and Russell Stover. These residents help address labor shortages across the state and contribute to the state’s economy while also developing work experience that translates to similar opportunities after serving their time.

What Does Success Look Like?

Residents in these programs demonstrate improved behavior while incarcerated, which results in fewer rules violations and placements in restrictive housing and an improved environment within the facility. Engagement with staff and other residents is generally more positive.

Residents also gain improved skills that can be used in jobs during incarceration and once released. These individuals experience more success once they are released by obtaining livable-wage jobs, and they experience more promotions and career advancement. They also participate in more community service and engagement, and experience improved mental and physical health.

Building Momentum

With the Second Chance Pell initiative, additional colleges and universities are getting involved with this program. The Career Campus model is designed to enable this programming, including additional CTE and college courses. Programming is targeted to workforce needs through partnerships with employers. Associated services include tutoring, job readiness, and social integration. Specialized staff facilitate career navigation and employer engagement and opportunities for apprenticeships, and private industry programs are enhanced.