U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Mandating Treatment for Drug Possessors: The Impact of Senate Bill 123 on the Criminal Justice System in Kansas
NCJ Number
              227588
Journal

*Journal of Criminal Justice* Volume: 37 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2009 Pages: 296-304
Author(s)
          Don Stemen;
                        Andres F. Rengifo
Date Published

June 2009
Length
              9 pages
Annotation
              This article discusses the implementation of Senate Bill 123 (SB 123), creating mandatory community-based drug treatment for individuals convicted of drug possession, and its impact on Kansas' criminal justice system.
Abstract
              SB 123 has been associated with significant changes in the sentencing of drug possessors in Kansas. Roughly 1,400 drug possessors per year now receive community-based drug treatment. Prior to the implementation of SB 123, these offenders likely would have received significantly less treatment, as well as significantly less supervision. The implementation of SB 123 diverted most of the eligible drug possessors not from prison to the community, as intended, but from one community-based program to another, from court services to community corrections. As such, SB 123 resulted in significant front-end net-widening, subjecting more offenders to greater surveillance and longer sentences. These problems appear to be due not to the circumvention of the law by justice officials, but to the structure of the law itself and to a lack of understanding of prior sentencing patterns. It is recommended that future research examine the effect of individual-level and jurisdiction-level variables on offender recidivism. In 2003, in response to the growing pressures drug possessors were placing on the prison system, the Kansas Legislature enacted SB 123, creating mandatory community-based drug treatment in lieu of incarceration for nonviolent offenders convicted of a first or second offense of simple drug possession. This article examines the impact of SB 123 on sentencing practices, supervision, and treatment services across Kansas. Figures, table, notes, and references
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2006-IJ-CX-0032


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Legislation/Policy Analysis


  
  
        
  Award
        Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Kansas Senate Bill 123
    
  
  
Date Published: June 1, 2009
    
          Downloads
        
                      HTML

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Drug law offenses
        Drug treatment
        Legislation
        Legislative impact
        Kansas



  
Similar Publications
        
                      The Treatment Group and Recidivism: A Multilevel Analysis of Prison-Based Substance Abuse Treatment
                  A Fully Continuous System of DNA Profile Evidence Evaluation That Can Utilize STR Profile Data Produced Under Different Conditions Within a Single Analysis
                  Correlates of Violent Political Extremism in the United States
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov