Our state’s criminal justice and prison system costs too much, needlessly incarcerates too many, works against those trying to make a fresh start, and is permeated by racial disparity.
The number of prisoners in Kansas continues to increase, but those individuals are not being prepared for life once they have completed their sentences. Once they re-enter the community, they are at a great risk for returning to prison.
Civil asset forfeiture laws in Kansas violate basic due process rights and threaten the property rights of citizens. Kansas law allows law enforcement agencies to seize citizens’ property based solely on a suspicion that it was involved in criminal activity.
When the Kansas Legislature convened in January 2016, civil liberties advocates feared that there would be an onslaught of attacks on the rights of Kansans. That fear was well-founded. Extremists dominated the legislative agenda.
When the 2015 Kansas legislative session began, civil liberties advocates braced for the worst. The political environment in Topeka was as hostile to civil liberties as any in recent memory.