Difference Between Kansas Prison and Federal Prison
What is the Difference Between Federal Prison and Kansas State Prison?
Kansas state prisons differ from federal prisons in many ways. While state prisons hold persons convicted of violating state law, federal prisons hold persons convicted of federal crimes. Kansas state crimes differ from federal crimes in that they are a violation of the Kansas criminal code, and the offenses are committed within the jurisdiction of the state. In Kansas, state crimes include burglary, manslaughter, and arson. It is important to note that state prisons usually hold persons sentenced to more than one year in prison, typically of felony crimes.
Federal inmates are those convicted of federal crimes, which usually take place between state boundaries or on federal property. Drug trafficking, aircraft hijacking, animal cruelty, federal hate crimes, credit card theft, and white-collar crimes such as money laundering, securities fraud, and corporate fraud are also examples of federal crimes. Federal lawmakers establish federal laws, including the Federal Criminal Code. Except for state crimes that are punishable by death or imprisonment for life, federal crimes typically carry longer sentences than state crimes; therefore, federal inmates are typically incarcerated for more extended periods. Conversely, more people are convicted of state crimes than federal crimes; therefore, there are more state prisons than federal prisons. State and federal prisons also hold persons awaiting trial for state or federal crimes.
Different agencies operate/manage state and federal prisons. Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), a state agency, oversees the operation of state prisons. In contrast, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a federal agency, oversees the operation of federal prisons in the United States. State and federal prisons are typically located in remote areas.
The Kansas Prison System
In Kansas, the prison system, which the Department of Corrections (KDOC) oversees, comprises the correctional facilities, Victim services, Juvenile services, Community & Field services, Reentry divisions, and the Prisoner review board. KDOC oversees 11 correctional facilities, two (2) of which are non-KDOC facilities. The total inmate population for Kansas state prisons is over 10,000.
The reentry division works to ensure the successful reassimilation of offenders into society upon release. Using an evidence-based approach, the reentry division helps inmates comply with supervision conditions, thus increasing the inmates' ability to reintegrate into society.
The Victim Services division supports survivors, victims, and crime witnesses by providing confidential information and support. It oversees safety planning, compensation, apology letters, family re-integrations, and notification programs.
On the other hand, the Prisoner Review Board determines inmates' sentence lengths, supervising discharges, paroles, and conditional releases. The board also reviews applications for clemency and recommends possible candidates to the Governor.
The Community & Field Services division oversees community correction and supervision for adult offenders. The Juvenile Services division oversees juvenile incarceration and correction. The court may adjudicate persons between ages ten (10) and 17 juveniles in Kansas. KDOC may hold juvenile offenders in juvenile correctional facilities until such persons turn 22 in the facility.
The following are the addresses and contact information of Kansas state prisons:
El Dorado Correctional Facility
Phone: (316) 321-7284
Fax: (316) 322-2018
P.O. Box 311
El Dorado, KS 67042
EDCF Satellite Units
Southeast Medium Unit
Phone: (316) 322-2045
2501 W. 7th St.,
Oswego, KS 67356
Southeast Minimum Unit
Phone: (316) 322-2045
1022 Fordyce Blvd.,
Oswego, KS 67356
Ellsworth Correctional Facility
Phone: (785) 472-5501
Fax: (785) 472-6365
P.O. Box 107
Ellsworth, KS 67439
ECF Satellite Unit
ECF-East Unit
Phone: (785) 472-5501
P.O. Box 107
Ellsworth, KS 67439
Hutchinson Correctional Facility
Phone: (620) 662-2321
Fax: (620) 728-3473
P.O. Box 1568
Hutchinson, KS 67504-1568
Lansing Correctional Facility
Phone: (913) 727-3235
Fax: (913) 250-2762
301 E. Kansas Ave.
Lansing, KS 66043
Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
Phone: (620) 285-6249
Fax: (620) 285-8070
1318 KS Highway 264
Larned, KS 67550-0280
Norton Correctional Facility
Phone: (785) 877-3389
Fax: (785) 877-6604
P.O. Box 546
Norton, KS 67654-0546
NCF Satellite Unit
NCF-East Unit
Phone: (785)) 425-6745
Fax: (785) 877-6760
P.O. Box 527
Stockton, KS 67669
Topeka Correctional Facility
Phone: (785) 296-3432
Fax: (785) 559-5112
815 S.E. Rice Rd.,
Topeka, KS 66607
Winfield Correctional Facility
Phone: (620) 221-6660
Fax: (620) 221-9229
1806 Pinecrest Circle
Winfield, KS 67156
Wichita Work Release Facility
401 S. Emporia St.
Wichita, KS 67202
Phone: (316) 265-5211 ext. 200 or ext. 232
Fax: (316) 262-5936
How to Lookup Inmates in Kansas
The KDOC oversees inmate safety, mentoring, communication, visiting, and banking. In the interest of public safety, KDOC makes Kansas inmate records available to interested persons on request. Offender information is also publicly available on the Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER). Interested parties may search the offender database using the following criteria:
- First name
- Last name
- Middle name
- Alias
- KDOC number
- Social Security number
- Race
- Gender
- Birthdate
- Age range
- Conviction county
- Facility
- Supervision type
- CC supervision location
- Parole supervision location
The BOP also provides inmate information to the public through the Inmate Locator tool. Interested parties may search using:
- Inmate's name
- BOP register number
- DCDC number
- INS number
- FBI number
Kansas County Jails
County jails hold persons sentenced to short prison terms, including 24-48 hour terms 30-day terms, and terms no more than 12 months. Persons charged with misdemeanors, for example, are held in county jails. County jails also hold persons awaiting trial for misdemeanors or other violations. There are 97 county jails in Kansas. Local government agencies such as County Sheriff's offices and local police departments oversee the running of county jails. Compared to state prisons, county jails hold fewer people for shorter periods; therefore, county jails are typically smaller than state prisons.
Each county has rules for inmate visitation, banking, and communication; interested parties may contact each facility directly for information. Additionally, many Kansas counties provide inmate rosters and databases on public websites; interested parties may search the publicly available databases for incarceration information and inmate location.
How Does the Federal Prison System Work?
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) oversees federal inmate incarceration and all activities that ensure the maintenance of a safe society and help inmates get ready to return to society as productive citizens. The BOP ensures inmates' safety and security, providing them with the needed knowledge and skills to successfully return to society through different programs. Examples of such programs include medical care, sexual abuse prevention programs, work programs, reentry programs, and substance abuse treatment programs. Each BOP facility also offers specialized programs based on the needs of the inmate population, which could be juveniles, female offenders, sex offenders, or tribal offenders. The BOP's incarceration and correctional facilities across the country have up to 37,411 employees. There are about 152,174 inmates spread across the BOP's 112 correctional facilities in the country.
The BOP offers various means, such as mail, telephone, and email, to communicate with inmates in BOP facilities. Interested persons may also send money to federal inmates electronically or by mail. BOP only accepts money order payments, and the money order must include the inmate's name and BOP register number. Personal checks, cash, or other items are not acceptable.
