prison

Last month, the Kansas Department of Corrections suddenly canceled subscriptions purchased by outside parties for those in state custody. The move confounded newspaper publishers and concerned press freedom advocates.

As the heat index hit 105 degrees, lawyers requested swift cooling measures in a Missouri prison with no A/C. One man shares the dangerous conditions inside while people await a judge’s ruling.

Families of incarcerated people in Kansas were long able to take out a newspaper subscription in a person’s name and have it delivered to a state facility. The Kansas Department of Corrections changed that policy without notice, claiming safety concerns but causing confusion.

The working group established by Gov. Mike Kehoe to look at the regulations governing parole has met twice since a public hearing in June. Neither the public nor the media was notified of either meeting.

More than 30% of formerly incarcerated Missourians return to prison within three years. It can be hard for these individuals to find a path to reentry, but one group seems to have landed on a solution that’s beginning to keep offenders out of prison for good.

Kansas City’s Transition Center has trained experts in conflict resolution, job training and wellness. Classes are giving hope to an increasing number of repeat offenders that they can make long-term changes and stay out of prison.

A Black transgender woman sued the Missouri Department of Corrections, claiming officers kept her isolated for six years based on a policy that singles out people with HIV. Missouri is now changing its policy as a result of that settlement.

Lawmakers voted to repeal the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act, a 1988 law now seen as a property rights violation and a barrier to a fresh start after prison.

Honesty Bishop was attacked by her cellmate. Missouri prison officials deemed her sexually active and kept her in isolation for over six years.

Deandre Pointer took a plea deal in 2023 to end his court challenge to a 2005 conviction for first-degree murder. Then he found out how the Department of Corrections awards credit for time served.

Around half of all new admissions to Missouri's prisons come from people who have violated their probation or parole. Those cases sent more than 5,000 Missourians back to prison last year — and a lack of transparency is a reason.

A public defender, victim’s advocate and former inmate are part of an effort to improve Missouri’s parole system. The rules haven't been updated since 2017, and advocates say the burdens placed on formerly incarcerated are too great.