In 2016, Kansas spent $347 million on corrections, accounting for nearly 6% of the state’s general fund expenditures.
These costs have grown 179% since 1985, far outpacing growth in other areas like education.
In addition, the return on investment for incarceration has been poor. Despite spending 43% of the Department of Corrections budget on the operation of facilities, 36% of people released from Kansas prisons in 2013 were reincarcerated within three years.
In 2017, Kansas spent around $25,841 to imprison just one person for one year.
