The ACLU of Kansas commends Gov.-elect Laura Kelly for focusing attention on the state’s desperate need for criminal justice reform during remarks made last night at a Kansas News Service event. Kelly said many non-violent offenders do not belong in prison. “Those people belong in prison no more than you or I,” she said, adding that the state’s criminal sentencing practices need dramatic reform.
We couldn’t agree more.
Kansas’ prison population – which now tops 10,000 and exceeds prison capacity -- has nearly quadrupled since 1980 despite steep crime rate declines along the way. Racial disparities in punishment here in Kansas are among the worst in the nation.
Acknowledging these issues is important, and we sincerely hope Gov.-elect Kelly follows up her comments with action to address this crisis once she assumes office. Our current course in criminal justice reform is not only fiscally unsustainable, it’s morally bankrupt.