Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF)
History
| History | |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Wichita Work Release began operation at North Fairmont as a co-correctional program in January 1976, with an initial capacity of 22 inmates. |
| 1978 | The program relocated to north Market and expanded its population capacity to 55 inmates. |
| 1984 | Population capacity increased to 76 inmates. |
| 1988 | Population capacity increased to 100 inmates. |
| 1989 | The program's capacity increased to 182 upon the KDOC's termination of its community residential contract with VIP, Inc. Those inmates from the VIP, Inc. contract were absorbed into WWRF in two buildings on north Market, the WWRF building and another leased by the KDOC to accommodate the influx. |
| 1990 | In November, the facility moved to its current location at Emporia and Waterman streets. Population capacity was 198 inmates: 188 male and 10 female. |
| 1996 | The administrations of Wichita Work Release Facility and Winfield Correctional Facility were combined, making WWRF a satellite unit of WCF. |
| 2002 | The women's work release program was transferred to Topeka. As a result, the capacity was expanded by 52 beds, resulting in a total capacity of 250 inmates. |
Overview
The Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF), a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison located in Wichita in south-central Kansas. The capacity is 250 minimum-custody male residents. The purpose of the work release program is to prepare selected residents for release and to assist them in making a successful transition from the institutional environment back into free society. Work release offers a unique opportunity to realize correctional objectives while permitting the participants to leave confinement and work in the community under close supervision and structure.
Participating residents must maintain full-time employment in the community. From their wages, the residents must pay a room and board fee, transportation expenses, court costs, restitution, dependent support and other outstanding debts. They also must accumulate savings prior to release from custody. At the same time, participants are responsible for their own medical and dental expenses and maintenance of their room as well as general use areas of the facility.
Visiting Information
Visitation at WWRF is from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and the following four holidays:
Christmas Day
Memorial Day
Fourth of July
Thanksgiving Day
If either Christmas Day or the Fourth of July holiday falls on a Saturday or a Sunday or other day where a facility has regularly scheduled visitation, the holiday will be incorporated within the regular visitation schedule and an additional visitation day will NOT be scheduled.
Warden
Warden Paul Snyder
Paul Snyder was named warden for Winfield Correctional Facility in November 2018 after having served as warden at El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF) since April 2018.
Snyder, who previously served as deputy warden at Winfield Correctional Facility, began his career with the KDOC in 1993 as a corrections officer at EDCF. Snyder, who also worked at Ellsworth Correctional Facility, rose steadily through the ranks to become a corrections supervisor, a unit team manager and then deputy warden in 2010. He first served as EDCF’s deputy warden of programs before transitioning into the position of deputy warden of support services. He then was named the deputy warden at the Wichita Work Release Facility before becoming the deputy warden at Winfield Correctional Facility in 2016.
Snyder earned his associate’s degree in administrative justice from Butler County Community College and a bachelor’s degree in human resources and organizational leadership from Rasmussen College.