Research & Publications

Though this may seem like a bleak picture I’m painting of LGBTQ+ Kansans’ experiences, it’s important that we remember it does not have to be this way. In fact, most Kansans want to protect LGBTQ+ people—67% of Kansans support LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protections.

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.

Religious freedom is a fundamental constitutional right. Religious rationales have also been used to justify discrimination throughout United States history, including today. This begs the question: what are the limits on the freedom of religion when it intersects with other constitutional rights?

Across the country, legislators and policymakers have attempted to crack down on illegal immigration by contracting with local law enforcement to enforce immigration policy. But being undocumented is not a crime, and local law enforcement have no obligation to help the federal government enforce immigration law. However, dozens of sheriff’s offices across the country—including two in Kansas—spend local resources and collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify, detain, and turn over noncitizens for deportation. One way ICE enlists local law enforcement is through the 287(g) program, a set of agreements that deputize local officers to perform immigration enforcement functions, primarily in jails. Since their inception, 287(g) agreements have given rise to racial profiling, civil rights violations, and breakdowns in community relations. Nevertheless, the Trump administration dramatically expanded the program, with no signs of a rollback under the Biden administration. As a result, 287(g) agreements continue to disrupt communities and fuel racism and xenophobia in Kansas and around the country.

We have developed this toolkit to help impacted individuals advocate for themselves or family members to file for relief from registration under the Kansas Offender Registration Act.

Qualified immunity is a judge-made legal protection that shields government officials from claims of unconstitutional conduct. It is a unique and specialized defense available only to government actors and can, if applied, allow those actors to avoid responsibility for constitutional violations.