Decarcerate KC is launching a campaign against the renewal of the Public Safety Sales Tax, which could cost taxpayers up to $800 million for a new city jail. But a 2023 study by the Prison Policy Initiative found that Kansas City has a surplus of jail beds, with most detainees jailed for low-level, nonviolent offenses and cops disproportionately incarcerating Black residents.
Community members and organizers with Decarcerate KC are mobilizing against the proposed renewal of the Public Safety Sales Tax, which will appear on the April 8 municipal election ballot. The organization will kick off its campaign with a rally and march on January 31 at Ilus Davis Park, aiming to stop the renewal of the ¼ cent sales tax that could funnel millions into the construction of a new city human caging facility.
Organizers are calling the movement out as a mass incarceration expansion disguised as public safety. For years, various organizations and community members have opposed efforts to build a new jail, instead advocating for alternatives to incarceration and investment in communities most impacted by the criminal legal system. The group successfully organized to prevent a $6 million allocation for jail design costs in 2023 and spearheaded the creation of KC REACH, the city’s first pre-arrest diversion program, a year later.
Stakeholders in support of the new jail argue that police will need to make space for an increasing number of arrests as Kansas City grows. But research reveals that this logic assumes and even encourages an increase in arrests rather than addressing the root causes of crime. A 2023 study on Kansas City Municipal Jail Needs Assessment from the Prison Policy Initiative shows that there is actually a surplus of jail beds in Kansas City. And many of the people in Kansas City’s jail beds have not been convicted of a crime, with pretrial detention disproportionately impacting Black residents.
A Blank Check for a New Jail
The current ¼-cent Public Safety Sales Tax is set to expire on June 30, 2026. It was first approved in April 2002 and later renewed in 2010. City leaders are now seeking to extend it for another 20 years, with plans to use the funds to construct a new municipal jail and finance various police department projects.
Tammy Queen, the city’s finance director, told city council members in a December meeting that the tax generates approximately $24 million annually. Some of these funds have already been allocated to ongoing renovations on the top floor of police headquarters, where a booking and temporary holding area is being built. Queen stated that revenue from the tax is projected to increase by 2% annually.
If renewed, the tax would fund the construction of a new municipal jail and “rehabilitation” center adjacent to the Jackson County Detention Center at 7000 E. U.S. Highway 40, which is currently under construction. The tax would also support various Kansas City Police Department projects, including the construction of a new Central Patrol Division and the purchase of new police vehicles.
Despite the tax renewal still being up for voter approval, the Kansas City Council has already allocated $2.3 million from the general fund toward the new jail project.
This initiative comes with a hefty price tag. The new Jackson County jail alone is estimated to cost $300 million, and if Kansas City proceeds with its own facility, the total cost over the project’s lifetime could skyrocket to nearly $800 million, according to Councilman Johnathan Duncan.
There is no jail bed shortage in Kansas City
Supporters of the new jail argue that Kansas City doesn’t have enough jail beds. But a 2023 analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative reveals the contrary. Kansas City has not operated its own jail since at least 2009, instead renting space in county jails. While the city previously contracted 275 beds in Jackson County, it has rented a total of 105 beds in Johnson and Vernon counties since 2019. On August 3, 2023, only 88 of those 105 beds were occupied, leaving 17% of the space unused.
The report also questions why Kansas City has not explored options to expand its existing jail contracts or re-establish an agreement with Jackson County, since it is currently constructing a new, larger jail.
Researchers argue that a lower jail population is not inherently a problem. Reducing incarceration, particularly for low-level offenses, aligns with best practices that minimize the harms of pretrial detention, such as job or housing loss.
Misleading Predictions about Future Jail Bed Needs
The justification for a new jail is also based on questionable future projections, according to the PPI. The needs assessment assumes that Kansas City’s population growth will lead to a rise in jail bed demand, even though historical data from 2013 to 2019 shows no consistent trend in jail population numbers. The report itself acknowledges that such forecasts do not account for major shifts in how the criminal legal system operates, such as COVID-19-era policies and ongoing justice reform efforts that have already altered arrest and incarceration patterns.
By ignoring these shifts, the report’s predictions exaggerate the need for a new jail, making them a poor basis for long-term public investment.
Who is Really Being Jailed in Kansas City?
Despite attempts to justify a new jail by emphasizing the severity of charges, data shows that Kansas City jail beds primarily hold individuals for low-level, nonviolent offenses. Between March and December 2019, only one-third of those booked faced violent charges, according to the PPI study. The remaining two-thirds were jailed for traffic violations (excluding DUIs), theft, drug-related offenses, and minor public order offenses such as vandalism, disorderly conduct, missing court dates, or resisting arrest.
Additionally, just 1% of detainees classified as having “violent” charges were actually awaiting transfer to Jackson County, where more serious felony cases are prosecuted. This distinction underscores that the overwhelming majority of municipal detainees are not facing felony-level charges.
The jailing system also disproportionately incarcerates Black residents. Sixty-eight percent of people held before court and 71% of those held after court are Black, despite Black residents making up only about 27% of Kansas City’s population.
Organizers say that this data further weakens the justification for expanding incarceration efforts. Instead, Kansas City needs diversion programs, investments in housing, mental health services, and community-based solutions that address public safety without funneling more people into the jail system.
Rallying for Change
Decarcerate KC’s rally will feature speakers from across the city. The event will also highlight the competing priorities on the ballot, such as a bond issue for public education, which organizers argue would be a better use of public funds than building another jail.
Community organizers are calling on voters to reject this tax renewal and demand real investments that help people—not policies that prioritize punishment over progress.
The rally on January 31 at Ilus Davis Park is just the beginning. As the election approaches, organizers are ramping up efforts to educate Kansas Citians, expose the harms of the public safety sales tax, and build momentum to defeat the tax at the ballot box.
Kansas City doesn’t need another jail. It needs leadership that cares to invest in its people.
