(a) Persons committed to the institutional care of the secretary of corrections shall be dealt with humanely, with efforts directed to their rehabilitation and return to the community as safely and promptly as practicable. For these purposes, the secretary shall establish programs of classification and diagnosis, education, casework, mental health, counseling and psychotherapy, chemical dependency counseling and treatment, sexual offender counseling, prerelease programs which emphasize re-entry skills, adjustment counseling and job placement, vocational training and guidance, work, library, physical education and other rehabilitation and recreation services; the secretary may establish facilities for religious worship; and the secretary shall institute procedures for the study and classification of inmates. The secretary shall maintain a comprehensive record of the behavior of each inmate reflecting accomplishments and progress toward rehabilitation as well as charges of infractions of rules and regulations, punishments imposed and medical inspections made.

(b) Programs of work, education or training shall include a system of promotional rewards entitling inmates to progressive transfer from high security status to a lesser security status. The secretary shall have authority at any time to transfer an inmate from one level of status to another level of status. Inmates may apply to the secretary for such status privileges. The secretary shall adopt a custody classification manual establishing standards relating to the transfer of an inmate from one status to another, and in developing such standards the secretary shall take into consideration progress made by the inmate toward attaining the educational, vocational and behavioral goals set by the secretary for the individual inmate. In order to facilitate the reintegration into the community of some inmates who are scheduled for release within the next 90 days, there shall be a presumption of minimum security status for those offenders who have been returned to prison for violating conditions of their postrelease supervision not involving a new criminal conviction and whose last facility security custody status was not either special management or maximum. Inmates sentenced to a state facility designated by the secretary to participate in an intensive substance abuse treatment program, shall have a presumption of minimum security status. These presumptions of minimum security status shall be applied to the initial security custody upon readmission into a correctional facility or admission into a state facility to participate in an intensive substance abuse treatment program, unless the security custody status is increased pursuant to policies adopted by the secretary. The security custody status designated by the department shall not be subject to judicial review.

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(c) The secretary, with the cooperation of the department of health and environment, shall adopt rules and regulations establishing and prescribing standards for health, medical and dental services for each institution, including preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic measures on both an outpatient and a hospital basis, for all types of patients. An inmate may be taken, when necessary, to a medical facility outside the institution.

(d) Under rules and regulations adopted by the secretary, directors of institutions may authorize visits, correspondence and communication, under reasonable conditions, between inmates and appropriate friends, relatives and others.

(e) The secretary shall adopt rules and regulations under which inmates, as part of a program anticipating their release from minimum security status, may be granted temporary furloughs from a correctional institution or contract facility to visit their families or to be interviewed by prospective employers.

(f) The secretary shall adopt rules and regulations for the maintenance of good order and discipline in the correctional institutions, including procedures for dealing with violations. Disciplinary rules and regulations may provide a system of punishment including segregation, forfeitures of good time earned, fines, extra work, loss of privileges, restrictions and payment of restitution.

The secretary and any persons designated by rules and regulations of the secretary may administer oaths for the purpose of conducting investigations and disciplinary proceedings pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the secretary under this subsection and under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-5251, and amendments thereto. For this purpose, the secretary shall adopt rules and regulations designating those persons who may administer oaths in such investigations and proceedings and the form and manner of administration of the oaths.

(g) A copy of the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (f) shall be provided to each inmate. Other rules and regulations of the secretary which are required to be published pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 77-415 through 77-437, and amendments thereto, shall be made available to inmates by placing a copy in the inmate library at the institution or by some other means providing reasonable accessibility to inmates.

(h) Any inmate participating in work and educational release programs under the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-5267, and amendments thereto, shall continue to be in the legal custody of the secretary of corrections, notwithstanding the inmate’s absence from a correctional institution by reason of employment, education or for any other purpose related to such work and educational release programs, and any employer or educator of that person shall be considered the representative or agent for the secretary.

(i) The secretary shall establish administrative and fiscal procedures to permit the use of regional or community institutions, local governmental or private facilities or halfway houses for the placement of inmates released for the purposes of this act and for the work and educational release programs under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-5267, and amendments thereto.

(j) The secretary may establish correctional work facilities and select inmates to be assigned to such facilities.

(k) The secretary may acquire, in the name of the state, by lease, purchase or contract additional facilities as may be needed for the housing of persons in the secretary’s custody.

(l) The secretary is hereby authorized to use any of the inmates assigned to the secretary’s custody in the construction and repair of buildings or property on state owned or leased grounds.

(m) For the purposes of establishing and carrying out the programs provided for by subsection (a) and by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-5267, and amendments thereto, the secretary may contract with qualified individuals, partnerships, corporations or organizations; with agencies of the state; or with the United States or any political subdivision of the state, or any agency thereof.