Goals

1. To develop and maintain a monitoring system that allows for comprehensive evaluation of the sentencing guidelines.

   The Commission receives presentence investigation (PSI) reports and journal entries for all persons who are sentenced for felony crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993. See K.S.A. 74-9101(b)(5). Sentencing information extracted from the PSIs and journal entries is maintained in two databases -- one for prison dispositions and one for non-prison dispositions -- from which the Commission staff can then monitor, evaluate, and analyze sentences imposed pursuant to the sentencing guidelines. The Commission staff also provides sentencing information to individual counties, judicial districts, and the federal government, upon request.

   In response to complaints and concerns from users of the sentencing guidelines journal entry forms, the Sentencing Commission revised the forms in FY 1996 to a more simplified format which is more user-friendly, and which will facilitate more valid and reliable information pertaining to guidelines sentences imposed.

   Objectives of Goal:

   • Process journal entries/PSI reports on an ongoing basis in an efficient manner with sufficient data entry support to eliminate the potential for backlog.
   • Determine the number of guidelines sentences imposed, the characteristics of offenders and the offenses committed, the number and types of departure sentences, and the overall conformity of sentences to the sentencing guidelines.
   • Analyze the overall distribution of guidelines sentences by race, ethnic origin, gender, age, education level and geographic location to determine whether the sentencing guidelines have reduced or eliminated the biases which were found to be inherent in the pre-guidelines sentencing system.
   • Issue an Annual Report detailing the above characteristics and analyses of guidelines sentencing during each fiscal year.
   
   

2. To forecast the state's adult and juvenile offender populations incarcerated in state institutions, and to determine the impact of proposed legislation on the prison population.

   In FY 1996, the legislation allocated resources to the Sentencing Commission for the acquisition of the PROPHET Simulation Model, an interactive microcomputer software system designed by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD). The PROPHET model permits staff analysts to construct a model which mimics the flow of offenders through the prison and parole populations based on the state of Kansas' sentencing structure and policy environment. With the PROPHET model, population and movement through the prison system can be forecasted annually, for as far as ten years into the future. The model also allows staff analysts to determine the impact of proposed legislation on the prison population, thus facilitating the Commission's duty to prepare and submit fiscal impact and correctional resource statements as required. See K.S.A. 74-9101(b)(8). As of FY 1996, the Sentencing Commission is the provider of the official offender population projections for the State of Kansas.

   The first official ten year baseline projections of the adult prison population, using the PROPHET model, were released in November, 1995. In November, 1995, the Sentencing Commission extended its contract with NCCD, through a grant from the department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS), to allow for the development of a juvenile detention module for PROPHET. The juvenile detention module will enable staff researchers to analyze juvenile offenders housed in urban and regional detention facilities throughout the state and to project and monitor detention center populations in a similar manner as the state prison population. In March, 1996, the Sentencing Commission was awarded a contract to conduct the state youth center population projections as part of the needs assessment study commissioned by the Youth Authority. These population projections will be the basis for the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act (HB 2900), which became effective July 1, 1997.

   Objectives of Goal

   • Delivery of the official prison population projections to the Department of Corrections and Legislative Committees on or before August 18, 1997.
   • Delivery of the official regional juvenile detention center populations to Douglas County on November 1, 1997.
   • Delivery of official juvenile correctional facility population projections on or before January 15, 1998.
   • Preparation of population impacts of proposed legislation upon request by the Kansas Legislature or the Division of Budget.
   • Development of database for extended juvenile jurisdiction and projected tracking and analysis.
   
   

3. To assist in the process of educating and training judges, attorneys, court services officers, state parole officers, correctional officers, law enforcement officials and other criminal justice groups in the understanding and application of sentencing guidelines.

   Since 1993, the Sentencing Commission staff has initiated and conducted training seminars on sentencing guidelines across the state in accordance with its duties under K.S.A. 74-9101(b)(4), and the Commission -- members as well as staff -- frequently participate in seminars and training conferences at the request of various criminal justice groups and associations, or sponsored by universities, including CLE training. In addition, the Commission publishes the Sentencing Guidelines Desk Reference Manual. An updated edition of the Manual is issued each year by the Commission following the Kansas legislative session, and is provided free of cost to judges, attorneys, court services officers, clerks of court, corrections and parole officers, law enforcement, and other criminal justice groups or interested individuals throughout the state upon request.

   Objectives of Goal

   • To publish an updated version of the Sentencing Guidelines Desk Reference Manual by July 1 of each year.
   • To keep judges, attorneys, and criminal justice officials and entities updated on sentencing guidelines through education and training seminars, and through quarterly updates on appellate court interpretation of the Kansas sentencing guidelines.
   • To publish the Resource Directory periodically.
   
   

4. To serve as an information resource for the legislature and various state criminal justice agencies.

   At the request of the legislature, the Commission has conducted various research projects and has published a variety of reports. Publications include: "Task Force on Field Services Consolidation", "Study of Intermediate Sanctions", "Task Force on Transition of Offenders into the Community", and "Report on Juvenile Offenders", and the Statewide Directory which is published periodically. In addition, the Commission provides ongoing legal consultation with respect to issues involving sentencing guidelines upon request from various judges, attorneys, and court services officers. The Commission also responds to frequent legislative requests for data or information relevant to sentencing and other criminal justice issues.