In this situation, when the adults say lights out they mean it. Most of the time the offense isn’t serious enough for a long-term punishment, but even small offenses can cause people to end up in a juvenile correctional facility.

According to public information officer of Juvenile Justice Authority Bill Miskell, the juvenile correctional facilities as they exist today in Kansas can trace their history to the Boys Industrial School in Topeka, the Girls Industrial School in Beloit and the State Orphans Home in Atchison.

“At the present time, the facilities in Beloit and Atchison have been closed and the state operates three juvenile correctional facilities: one in Topeka for females, one in Topeka for males and one in Larned for males,” Miskell said.  “The facility for males in Topeka is the largest of the three and the facilities for males and females are separated.”

The Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority keeps track of the three facilities still open in Kansas.  Their chart, Juvenile Correctional Facility Population Activity, describes the amount of inmates coming into facilities and the amount going out for each month.

During the month of September, the number of inmates at the end of the month who were still in facilities was 335.  During the month of October, 38 juveniles were admitted into a facility, and 30 inmates were released.  By the end of October the total population was 342.  Last year in October there were only 332 inmates at the end of the month.

Also in October there were 31 juveniles placed into a facility due to a new offense. This year 91 percent of admissions into a facility are male, and 9 percent are female. With the slight increase of inmates, some people have ideas as to what the cause is.

“I think it’s directly related to the breakdown of marriage and the family unit,” teacher Jill Blurton said. “I think the media and technology promote far more destructive behavior than either of them do positive behavior.”

Imagine not being allowed to have a toothbrush, hair brush, or even showers.  That’s what a local student has had to face before.

“I was at Wakeeney,” junior Brooke Proctor said. “I was the only girl there, and there were only two other guys.”

Along with limited freedom is bad food, smelly beds, and uncomfortable furniture, Proctor said.

Proctor had been picked up one night for breaking curfew.  Her punishment was to be sent to the detention center in Wakeeney for two nights.

“Even the employees at the center said it was stupid,” Proctor said. “They said there was no reason for them to send me there.”

Proctor feels there was no reason for her to be at the center.

“The employees were nice, but otherwise being there did nothing for me,” Proctor said.