Kansas Appleseed Research

Kansas committed to a rehabilitative youth justice system in 2016, yet continues the indiscriminate use of shackles on children appearing in courtrooms. This practice leads to retraumatization and shame and increases recidivism of youth involved in the justice system. It is past time we end this harmful practice and ensure the safety and rights of vulnerable children.

Read our latest report, A Sentence Before Trial: The Practice of Indiscriminate Use of Shackles on Kansas Children and its Harm, to learn more.

This report, released in October 2023, highlights the burden of meal debt and its impact on Kansas families and schoolchildren after universal free meals ended in Kansas. Read more here.

In the breadbasket of America, no child should go hungry. To learn more about how Kansas can achieve this goal, read our latest report, A Pathway to Universal Free Meals for All Kansas Children: The State of School Meals in Kansas.

Southeast Kansans are stepping up to increase food access, but soup kitchens and food pantries aren’t enough. Policy change is needed and voting is one way the people of SEK can use their power for increased food access in their communities. Read more here.

A policy update on progress made to adavnace legislation on ending driver’s license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees during the 2021 Legislative Session. Read more here.

Intentional disenfranchisement of voters makes it harder for Kansans to impact and advocate for the policies that shape our health, schools, homes, and neighborhoods. Read more here. 

This report discusses how COVID-19 impacted Kansans’ access to what we need to survive, ways communities and programs stepped up to fill the gaps, and opportunities to help Kansans not only recover from the pandemic but thrive. Read more here.