NCJ Number
124673
Date Published
1990
Length
113 pages
Annotation
An audit of the Kansas inmate disciplinary procedure was authorized by the Department of Corrections to determine if the current system is uniform, simple, efficient, and legally sound.
Abstract
Kansas has a procedure for filing a charge against an inmate in a disciplinary report, notice requirements for the pending charge, an arraignment proceeding, and a final hearing complete with disposition and appeal mechanisms. Prisons use three-member boards for the disposition of all major misconduct cases. A single hearing officer typically handles minor misconduct cases. For most disciplinary hearings, the inmates provide their own defense; however, legal representation is provided for selected serious cases. On-site interviews with key staff members, observation of several disciplinary hearings, and surveys of inmates and officers at five Kansas prisons indicate that a number of issues should be addressed. The system is perceived as being too complicated and indolent; officers and staff have insufficient training regarding disciplinary proceedings; system integrity has been compromised by poor and inadequate communication between staff and inmates; and expectations for inter-institutional and intra-institutional disciplinary communication have not been defined. Each of these issues and their causes are addressed by long-term (legislation) and short-term (non-legislative action) recommendations. 13 diagrams, 9 figures, and 8 tables.