It’s no secret that every state government is facing difficult budget decisions, and Kansas is no exception. One part of the budget that is expanding faster than nearly all others is the cost of prisons.
It costs Kansas $341 million each year to house about 8,700 inmates, with another 7,000 in county jails, draining resources that could be devoted to education, hospitals and highways.
About 95 percent of these inmates will be released when they complete their sentences. What kind of neighbors will they be? That depends on how well they have been prepared for life after prison.