TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly says Kansas began releasing inmates this week as a way to check the spread of coronavirus in its prison system but stopped when an outbreak mushroomed.
She said Friday that the outbreak created a danger of returning infected offenders to their communities.
Kelly said the Department of Corrections released only six inmates and put them under house arrest for the rest of their sentences.
But confirmed coronavirus cases at the Lansing Correctional Facility have skyrocketed among inmates and staff.
As of Friday, the KDOC reported 250 inmates and 86 staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 at Lansing Correctional Facility.
Meanwhile, Kelly's plan for a gradual reopening of the state's economy sparked criticism over its disparate treatment of different businesses.
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