Research & Publications

Pretrial detention can have devastating consequences and should be used only when necessary. But in Kansas, this is not the case. Across Kansas, thousands sit in jail pretrial – many because they do not have enough money to afford cash bail. Kansas’s system of money bail subverts the presumption of innocence to which criminal defendants are entitled and causes harm to individuals, their families, and entire communities. People facing criminal charges are often incarcerated for long periods while awaiting trial, and pretrial detention can place coercive pressure on defendants to plead guilty, especially as it can hamper their ability to participate in preparing a defense3 or cause them to lose their jobs and homes. Understanding how bail works in Kansas and why cash bail undermines the presumption of innocence to which Kansans are entitled is necessary to crafting reforms aimed at reducing pretrial detention.

A toolkit on gender markers for birth certificates and driver's licenses in both Kansas and Missouri.

In this report, we examine how varied policies in election administration across the state’s 105 counties means that the right to vote doesn’t look the same for all Kansans. Using data from the 2024 General Election, we explore how election administration practices impact voter turnout. This report reveals how Kansans' ability to cast a ballot and exercise the right to vote is not equally accessible for all—depending on factors such as zip code, age, race, ethnicity, schedule, or disability status—and recommends clear steps for local election officials to make democratic participation accessible and convenient.

In this report, we examine how monetary bail in Sedgwick County, Kansas, disproportionately punishes poverty, deepens inequality, and challenges the promise of justice.

Democracy is, at its core, the idea that every person counts and has an equal say in the governance of the nation. Today, that foundational idea is frequently under attack. There are relentless efforts to make it harder for eligible citizens to register to vote, cast a ballot, and have their ballots counted. Beyond the right to vote, politicians consistently advocate for or implement policies of exclusion, isolation, and marginalization, especially towards communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and vulnerable populations. The thread connecting these actions is that they all undermine the values of our democracy by explicitly or implicitly asserting that some people are not fully included in our shared community, that their voices need not be heard, or that they have no role to play in holding government and politicians accountable to the people.

This guidence manual was developed to better support our storytellers and advocates. Storytelling is the glue of our advocacy work and only exists because of brave Kansans like you who speak up!

We have developed this toolkit to help impacted individuals advocate for themselves or family members, including filing for an application for early release through executive clemency on their own behalf. Everyone is more than their worst mistake.

A guide to best practices for engaging your elected officials. Learn more about how to advocate for change with your lawmakers.

Kansans across the political spectrum broadly support a variety of criminal legal system reforms, according to a 2023 poll commissioned for the ACLU of Kansas.