K.A.R. Article 15 - Grievance Procedure for Inmates (Kansas DOC)

Kansas Administrative Regulations Article 15 is the binding grievance procedure for people in Kansas Department of Corrections custody and for parolees. Before using the procedure an inmate must attempt informal resolution with unit team staff, documented on an inmate request form. K.A.R. 44-15-101b requires a grievance to be filed within 15 days of discovery of the event, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and never later than one year after the event. Level 1 goes to a unit team member, Level 2 to the warden, who must return an answer within 10 working days, and Level 3 is an appeal to the Secretary of Corrections, which must be made within three calendar days of the warden's decision; the Secretary then has 20 working days to answer. Grievance text is limited to 10 pages at each step. The procedure cannot substitute for the disciplinary, classification, property-loss or publication-censorship processes. Emergency grievances under K.A.R. 44-15-106 bypass informal resolution and are forwarded immediately to the level where corrective action can be taken, reprisals are prohibited under 44-15-104, and records are kept at least three years.