Kansas calls its solitary confinement "administrative segregation" -- and the numbers are stark. As of 2023, the average stay in restrictive housing in Kansas was 190 days. The longest documented stay at that time was 3,523 days -- nearly ten years. A prisoner placed in administrative segregation in 1996 spent nearly 20 years across three Kansas facilities before returning to general population in 2016. Kansas has no statute limiting the duration of administrative segregation, no independent oversight body, and no court-ordered reform settlement governing the general population of people in solitary.
What Kansas does have is a 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling -- in the case of James Jamerson, who was erroneously held in solitary for more than 1,000 days -- establishing that Kansas courts must consider the duration of solitary confinement when evaluating whether a prisoner's rights have been violated. That ruling created a legal framework for challenging prolonged solitary that did not previously exist in Kansas.
The primary restrictive housing facility in Kansas is El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF), which has two cell houses designated as Restrictive Housing units with 488 working beds.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Kansas
The Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) uses "administrative segregation" (AdSeg) as its primary term for solitary confinement. Restrictive housing is used as a broader term across KDOC facilities and policy documents. Death row inmates are also held in administrative segregation at El Dorado.
The primary KDOC categories of restricted housing include:
Administrative Segregation (AdSeg): Non-punitive placement for safety, security, or management reasons. Open-ended -- no fixed release date at time of placement.
Disciplinary Segregation: Punitive isolation following a disciplinary hearing and finding of guilt, with a defined term set as a sanction.
Protective Custody: Separate housing for people who face credible safety threats.
El Dorado Correctional Facility: The Primary Restrictive Housing Location
El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF), located in El Dorado, Kansas, is KDOC's primary facility for restrictive housing and maximum-security custody. EDCF operates with a total capacity of approximately 1,900 and has seven cell houses:
- A and B cell houses: Designated as Restrictive Housing units, with 488 working bed spaces.
- C-1 cell house: Designated as the Mental Health Intensive Residential Unit (IRU).
- General population cell houses.
- Infirmary.
- Reception and Diagnostic Unit (RDU): Kansas's central intake point for newly received prisoners.
Two cell houses specifically designated for people who cannot be maintained in general population at any other Kansas correctional facility are at EDCF. This makes EDCF the end of the line for the most difficult-to-manage individuals in the Kansas system.
Kansas prisons also have restrictive housing capacity at Lansing Correctional Facility and Hutchinson Correctional Facility, where long-term AdSeg placements have also been documented.
Who Can Be Placed in Administrative Segregation
KDOC policy places people in administrative segregation when their presence in general population poses a threat to the safety, security, or orderly operation of the facility. This includes:
- People with a history of serious assaultive behavior.
- People identified as a threat to institutional security.
- People under investigation for serious rule violations.
- Death row inmates (automatically at EDCF under prior policy).
The 2020 lawsuit (challenging automatic AdSeg for death row inmates) alleged this automatic-placement policy was unconstitutional. One plaintiff, Sidney Gleason, had been in AdSeg for more than 14 years; another, Scott Cheever, for more than 12 years. Verify current death row AdSeg policy at publish.
How Long People Stay in Administrative Segregation
Kansas has no statute setting a maximum duration for administrative segregation. Based on 2023 KDOC reporting:
- Average stay in restrictive housing: 190 days.
- Longest documented current stay at time of reporting: 3,523 days (over 9 years).
Historical documented cases:
- James Jamerson: Erroneously held in AdSeg for more than 1,000 days at EDCF. His case produced the 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling requiring courts to consider duration of solitary when evaluating rights violations.
- Richard Grissom: Placed in AdSeg in 1996 at EDCF, then held across EDCF, Lansing, and Hutchinson for nearly 20 years before returning to general population in 2016.
- Sidney Gleason: More than 14 years in AdSeg at EDCF under the automatic death-row placement policy.
These documented cases establish that decade-long stays in Kansas administrative segregation are not exceptional -- they are a documented pattern.
The 2016 Kansas Supreme Court Ruling
In 2016, the Kansas Supreme Court established in the James Jamerson case that Kansas courts must consider the duration of solitary confinement when evaluating whether a prisoner's rights have been infringed. This was a landmark ruling for Kansas because it created a constitutional framework -- under Kansas law -- for challenging prolonged administrative segregation placements.
Before this ruling, duration alone was not considered a relevant factor. The ruling means that a Kansas prisoner who has been in administrative segregation for an extended period, without meaningful review or justification, may have a stronger legal claim than would exist in many other states.
Conditions in Kansas Restrictive Housing
KDOC has not published comprehensive public data on conditions in its administrative segregation units. Based on available information:
El Dorado's A and B cell houses are dedicated restrictive housing units. People in administrative segregation at EDCF have highly limited out-of-cell time, restricted programming access, and reduced social contact compared to general population. Mental health services are available through EDCF's Mental Health IRU (C-1 cell house).
The class action lawsuit challenging conditions at EDCF, which resulted in an approximately $58 million settlement, addressed conditions across the facility. The specifics of what the settlement required regarding restrictive housing conditions should be verified at publish.
Kansas also operates the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, which provides specialized mental health care to KDOC residents who require higher-level psychiatric treatment. People with serious mental illness may be transferred to Larned rather than remaining in administrative segregation.
Mental Health Protections
Kansas has no statute specifically prohibiting placement of seriously mentally ill prisoners in administrative segregation. KDOC operates under general Eighth Amendment obligations to provide mental health care. EDCF's Mental Health IRU provides a separate housing option for people with serious mental health needs within the facility.
The Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility is the state's primary specialized mental health correctional resource and may receive transfers from facilities including EDCF when clinical needs exceed what the general facility can provide.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in administrative segregation or other restrictive housing in a Kansas state prison:
Find where your person is housed. KDOC provides an offender search at doc.ks.gov. This confirms current facility and housing status.
Contact the facility. For people in restrictive housing at EDCF, contact EDCF administration at doc.ks.gov for current housing status, visiting rules, and communication access. For people at Lansing or Hutchinson, contact those facilities directly.
Know the 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling. If your person has been in administrative segregation for an extended period without meaningful review, the Jamerson ruling established that duration is a relevant factor in evaluating rights claims under Kansas law. Document the length of placement from the beginning.
Track the duration carefully. KDOC's own data shows an average stay of 190 days and documented stays exceeding nine years. If your person has been in AdSeg for months with no review or pathway to release, this warrants legal attention.
Document conditions. Keep records of every contact -- out-of-cell time, mental health visits, programming access, review dates, property access. This documentation is important for any grievance or legal action.
File a grievance. KDOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances documenting conditions and lack of review. Administrative remedies must typically be exhausted before court relief.
Contact the ACLU of Kansas. The ACLU of Kansas (aclukansas.org) monitors KDOC conditions and may be able to provide referrals or information on current advocacy.
Seek legal help. Given the 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling, prolonged administrative segregation without documented justification may support a legal claim in Kansas courts. If your person has been in AdSeg for a year or more without meaningful review, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Kansas courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Kansas prisons?
KDOC calls it "administrative segregation" (AdSeg) for non-punitive placement and "disciplinary segregation" for punitive placement following a hearing. "Restrictive housing" is also used as a broader term in KDOC policy. Death row inmates at EDCF have also been held in administrative segregation, though a 2020 lawsuit challenged the automatic-placement policy for capital prisoners.
Which Kansas prison has the main restrictive housing unit?
El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF) in El Dorado, Kansas, with a total capacity of approximately 1,900, designates two of its seven cell houses (A and B) as Restrictive Housing units, with 488 working beds. EDCF also has a dedicated Mental Health Intensive Residential Unit (C-1). Lansing Correctional Facility and Hutchinson Correctional Facility also have administrative segregation capacity.
Who can be placed in administrative segregation in Kansas?
Administrative segregation is used when a person's presence in general population poses a threat to safety, security, or orderly operation. KDOC uses AdSeg for people with histories of serious assaultive behavior, security threats, and people under investigation. There is no statutory limit on who can be placed or for how long.
What are conditions like in Kansas restrictive housing?
People in KDOC administrative segregation have highly limited out-of-cell time, restricted programming, and reduced social contact. EDCF's dedicated Mental Health IRU provides a separate care option. KDOC has not published detailed public data on conditions in restrictive housing units. The EDCF class action settlement ($58 million) addressed conditions across the facility; verify what specific restrictive housing conditions are covered at publish.
How long can someone stay in solitary in Kansas?
Kansas has no statutory limit. KDOC's own data shows an average stay of 190 days and a longest documented current stay of 3,523 days (over 9 years) as of 2023. Historical cases include Richard Grissom (nearly 20 years across three facilities) and James Jamerson (over 1,000 days, erroneously). The 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling established that duration is a legally relevant factor in rights claims.
What did the 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling establish?
In the James Jamerson case -- involving a prisoner erroneously held in administrative segregation at EDCF for more than 1,000 days -- the Kansas Supreme Court established that Kansas courts must consider the duration of solitary confinement when evaluating whether a prisoner's rights have been violated. This was a landmark ruling creating a constitutional framework for challenging prolonged AdSeg under Kansas law.
Are death row inmates in solitary in Kansas?
Death row inmates at EDCF have been housed in administrative segregation under KDOC policy. A 2020 lawsuit challenged the practice of automatically and permanently placing capital prisoners in solitary confinement -- plaintiffs Sidney Gleason (14+ years in AdSeg) and Scott Cheever (12+ years in AdSeg) argued this policy was unconstitutional. Verify the current status of death row housing policy at publish.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in KS?
Kansas has no statute specifically prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in administrative segregation. KDOC operates under general Eighth Amendment healthcare obligations. EDCF has a dedicated Mental Health IRU, and the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility provides higher-level psychiatric care for KDOC residents requiring specialized treatment. People with serious mental illness may be transferred rather than remaining in restrictive housing.
Can families visit someone in Kansas restrictive housing?
Visiting is typically restricted during administrative segregation. Contact the specific KDOC facility directly to confirm current visiting rules before traveling. KDOC facility contact information is at doc.ks.gov. Written mail generally retains stronger protections than phone or visits during restrictive housing.
What can families do if someone is in Kansas solitary?
Use KDOC's offender search at doc.ks.gov to find your person's facility and housing status. Contact the facility to confirm their current housing classification and the reason for placement. Document the start date and duration of AdSeg carefully -- the 2016 Kansas Supreme Court ruling makes duration legally relevant. Track all reviews (or lack thereof). File grievances through KDOC's process. Contact the ACLU of Kansas (aclukansas.org) for advocacy information and referrals. If your person has been in AdSeg for an extended period without documented justification or meaningful review, consult a prisoner rights attorney. ---