Prisons in Kansas fall into three groups: eight adult correctional facilities plus a work release site operated by the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), one federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum-security camp in Leavenworth run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and a privately operated detention center in Leavenworth that holds federal detainees under contract.
State Prisons Run by KDOC
KDOC operates the following adult facilities:1Kansas Department of Corrections. Adult Facility Index
- El Dorado Correctional Facility (El Dorado). Houses male inmates and runs the reception and diagnostic unit where newly sentenced men are evaluated and assigned a custody level.2Kansas Department of Corrections. Kansas Department of Corrections Population Report
- Ellsworth Correctional Facility (Ellsworth). Male offenders at medium and minimum custody levels.
- Hutchinson Correctional Facility (Hutchinson). One of the larger state institutions, with separate units spanning maximum through minimum security for male inmates.
- Lansing Correctional Facility (Lansing). A major complex with a maximum-security central unit and medium-security areas for male inmates.3Kansas Department of Corrections. Overview – Lansing Correctional Facility
- Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility (Larned). Specialized mental health treatment for male inmates across multiple security levels.
- Norton Correctional Facility (Norton). Primarily male offenders at medium and minimum custody.
- Topeka Correctional Facility (Topeka). The only KDOC facility that houses women. Topeka handles reception and diagnostic evaluations for every female felon sentenced to state custody and holds inmates at every security level.4Kansas Division of the Budget. Topeka Correctional Facility Female Population
- Winfield Correctional Facility (Winfield). A minimum-security facility for male inmates.
- Wichita Work Release Facility (Wichita). A minimum-security site focused on work release for male inmates approaching the end of their sentences.
All nine sites hold men except Topeka, which is the sole state facility for women.
How Inmates Are Assigned to a Facility
Every person sentenced to a Kansas state prison first goes through reception and diagnostics at El Dorado (men) or Topeka (women). Staff weigh the offense, the sentence remaining, escape history, institutional behavior, and any special needs such as mental health care or protective custody, then assign a custody level that governs where the inmate can be housed.5Kansas Department of Corrections. Custody Classification
KDOC uses five levels:
- Special management. The most restrictive classification, for inmates who require supervision beyond what maximum custody provides.
- Maximum custody. Maximum-security housing with highly structured movement and close monitoring.
- High-medium custody. Medium- or maximum-security facilities, but not open-dormitory placement.
- Low-medium custody. Medium- or maximum-security facilities, with dormitory-style housing allowed.
- Minimum custody. Any security level, with minimum-security preferred, and often eligible for work release.
Classifications are reassessed periodically, so an inmate with good behavior can move to a less restrictive facility over time.
Federal Prison in Kansas
The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates one institution in the state: FCI Leavenworth, a medium-security federal correctional institution for men.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Leavenworth It was originally the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, one of the first federal prisons in the country, and the historic exterior still bears the old name even though the BOP has since redesignated it to reflect its current medium-security mission.
Adjacent to FCI Leavenworth is a minimum-security satellite camp, FPC Leavenworth, which typically holds men with shorter sentences and lower risk profiles who may work details supporting the main institution.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Leavenworth
The BOP facilities are sometimes confused with the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, which is a military prison run by the Department of Defense and is not part of the civilian federal system.
Private Detention in Leavenworth
Leavenworth also has a privately operated 1,000-bed detention facility run by CoreCivic. Originally the Leavenworth Detention Center, it previously held federal pretrial detainees. In early 2026 the Leavenworth city commission approved its use to hold federal immigration detainees for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.7The Lawrence Times. ICE Detention Center in Kansas Can Open After Leavenworth Granted a Private Prison Company’s Permit
This site is not part of the state prison system or the BOP. It operates under federal contract, and the people held there are typically in civil immigration proceedings rather than serving criminal sentences.
Jails Are Not Prisons
Kansas has county jails in most of its 105 counties, but jails and prisons do different jobs. Jails hold people for short stays, usually pretrial or serving misdemeanor sentences of less than a year, and are run by local sheriffs. State prisons hold people convicted of felonies serving longer sentences. County jails are inspected annually by the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office, not by KDOC.8State Fire Marshal, KS. Jails and Detention Facilities
KDOC does place a small number of inmates in contract jail beds and at the Johnson County Residential Center for overflow or specialized situations, but those placements are exceptions.2Kansas Department of Corrections. Kansas Department of Corrections Population Report
How Many People Are in Kansas Prisons
As of early 2026, KDOC facilities hold roughly 9,849 inmates against a combined capacity of about 10,674 beds, or about 92 percent of capacity. About 8,974 are men and 875 are women.9Kansas Department of Corrections. Current Population Totals
Federal inmates at FCI Leavenworth and its camp are not part of that count. They are tracked separately through the BOP.10Federal Bureau of Prisons. Population Statistics