TOPEKA The drive from Topeka to El Dorado Correctional Facility takes about two hours each way. Leoti Masterson makes the trip every week without hesitation.
She would never pass up a chance to see her son.
But as Kansas prepares to send hundreds of inmates to a private prison in Arizona run by CoreCivic, the families of inmates are fearful the time they cherish with their sons and husbands will soon be taken away.
They worry the location of the private prison hundreds of miles away will make in-person visits rare or impossible.
Its hard for me to even comprehend that I would no longer be able to visit on a weekly basis. That has been such a gift to both of us, Masterson said.
She said her son, Jeff Masterson, who is serving time for sexual exploitation of a child, is now clear-headed and that she wants to be part of his rehabilitation.
In interviews in the week since the Kansas Department of Corrections announced an agreement with CoreCivic to take up to 600 male inmates, family members grew emotional describing their frustration with the decision. Phone and video calls are no match for the power and intimacy of being there, they say.
Researchers say in-person visits have a positive effect on inmates. Most notably, studies have shown inmates who receive more visits are less likely to commit crimes when they get out.
Some relatives of inmates including those who are involved in a new group pushing prison reform in Kansas fault Gov. Laura Kelly for the move. Theyre angered after the Democratic governor advocated for sentencing changes in the past.
It feels like a lottery. You dont know whether its going to be your person or not and the fear is huge, said one woman whose husband and son are both serving time for burglary and robbery at El Dorado. She asked that her name be withheld out of fear her family members could face retaliation.
Kansas plans to send 360 inmates to Arizona by the end of the year, with inmates sent in waves of 120. The states contract with CoreCivic allows the company to ultimately house up to 600 inmates if necessary.
The state will pay $74.76 a day per inmate to CoreCivic. The arrangement will end up costing millions a year.
The decision marks the most dramatic action yet to stabilize Kansass troubled prison system.
For years, the prisons have struggled with staff shortages. Recent pay increases have helped fill some vacancies, but inmate population growth is expected to continue, straining facilities.
Kelly and her aides have said they dont like the idea of turning to private prisons. But with the system operating above capacity, they see few other immediate options.
