Kansas is overhauling a program that confines sex offenders indefinitely for post-prison mental health treatment.
The changes to be rolled out this month follow a federal lawsuit, a critical legislative audit and legal challenges to similar programs in other states.
Officials at the Larned State Hospital program said treatment will become more structured, personalized and focused on changing behavior that could cause patients to commit new crimes. They also said patients will be allowed a greater number of short, supervised community visits.
Advocates for the 264 men committed by state courts to the program said they're encouraged by the promised changes but remain ...
Kansas is overhauling a program that confines sex offenders indefinitely for post-prison mental health treatment.
The changes to be rolled out this month follow a federal lawsuit, a critical legislative audit and legal challenges to similar programs in other states.
Officials at the Larned State Hospital program said treatment will become more structured, personalized and focused on changing behavior that could cause patients to commit new crimes. They also said patients will be allowed a greater number of short, supervised community visits.
Advocates for the 264 men committed by state courts to the program said they're encouraged by the promised changes but remain ...