(Civil Commitment) Program upgrade on outs

12-25-2009 Kansas:


Bid to expand state's sexual predator program questioned

TOPEKA (AP) — A proposal by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to spend more than $40 million to expand the state's Sexual Predator Treatment Program received a lukewarm response from lawmakers dealing with a budget crisis.

SRS officials proposed a 90-bed expansion at Larned State Hospital, where there currently are 189 offenders in the program.

The capacity for the program at Larned is 214, and experts expect that to be surpassed in 2012.

Under state law, sexual predators who are serving prison time can be kept indefinitely after their sentences end, if they are considered a threat to re-offend.

It was prompted by the 1993 rape and murder of a Pittsburg State University student by a sex offender who was released from prison seven months earlier.

As the program's costs rise, lawmakers are wondering if that money could better be spent elsewhere.

"My concern is that we're concerned about sex predators, but maybe we are not worried about mental health services at other institutions," said Rep. Bill Feuerborn, a Garnett Democrat. "I don't support the SRS plan to build new facilities at Larned."

The request came at a time when Gov. Mark Parkinson and state lawmakers have slashed spending in all areas of state government, including education, health and public safety. ..Source..