A newly constructed unit at the Lansing Correctional Facility is now open and housing minimum security inmates.
It replaces the East Unit building and is the first of the new facilities being constructed at the site that is replacing the aging facility. The original Lansing Prison was first known as the Kansas State Penitentiary opened in 1867 during the presidency of Andrew Johnson and is the oldest and largest correctional facility in Kansas.
Other facilities were added over the years, including the East Unit, which was built in 1917. The state faced many challenges and safety issues with the old buildings.
During the Brownback administration, lawmakers approved the construction of all new prison facilities at Lansing.
