TOPEKA — Incoming Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Wichita-based Koch Industries agree that the state’s prison system needs to be reformed.
The Wichita Eagle reports Kelly’s call for criminal justice reform comes as the state’s prison system experienced its largest increasing inmates in a decade. Official estimates indicate the inmate population could exceed capacity in the next couple of years.
Kelly says she wants to find a way to divert first-time drug offenders from the correctional system.
Koch Industries was a proponent of federal legislation that expands rehabilitation programs, which could bring shorter sentences for non-violent offenders in the federal system. The legislation in awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature.
Koch Industries spokesman David Dziok said the company looks forward to working with Kelly’s administration on prison reform in Kansas.
