LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The state’s Sexual Predator Treatment Program is already overcrowded and state officials say they expect the problem to get worse.
The program was designed to treat sexual offenders so they can return to society. But data from the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services shows that those sent to Larned State Hospital for treatment are almost never released.
Since the program it started in 1994, only three people have been released.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 217 sex offenders are in the program. The SRS says current growth projections estimate that number will grow to more than 370 residents by 2020.
The state currently spends $13 million annually for the program. In September, SRS asked the Kansas Legislature for another $2 million for facility upgrades to accommodate the growth.
