The Kansas Sentencing Commission has submitted two bills to a House panel to ease overcrowding in state prisons and save money. The bills, which have been endorsed by the Department of Corrections and many legislators, would keep offenders out of prison on their first two marijuana possession offenses and allow some prisoners to knock off additional time for good behavior.
Scott Schultz, executive director of the Kansas Sentencing Commission, said the cost of incarcerating criminals is starting to get lawmakers’ attention.
“I think the dialogue is open for us and the Legislature is in some sense being pushed in that direction just because of budget issues,” Schultz said. “Things are not as flexible as they used to be.”
