KC’s Latest Attempt to Build An $800 Million Human Caging Facility Must Be Stopped

Kansas City is once again deepening its commitment to build a racist and destructive jail—this time by quietly passing an ordinance to spend $2.3 million of public tax dollars to purchase land from Jackson County which is already building another caging facility of its own. 

On October 10th, with little public input, the City Council hastily approved the use of General Fund money for the project. The city is preparing to bring the jail to a public vote in April, but yesterday voted to move ahead, undemocratically, purchasing the land as if the decision had already been made. 

The proposed site sits next to Jackson County’s $300 million jail project, and the total cost of Kansas City’s new city facility will skyrocket to nearly $800 million over its lifetime if passed. 

Councilman Johnathan Duncan denounced the ordinance vote in a statement to The Defender: “The total cost of the facility over the life of the facility will equal about $800 million and when you think about how much investment that is in comparison to the issues that it will actually solve, it’s not a good return on investment…Taking care of people, taking care of communities, and addressing the root causes of crime—which are poverty, lack of affordable housing, and lack of jobs—are not being addressed by this facility.”

A City Starved of Real Safety Solutions

This decision comes at a time when Kansas City is at a breaking point—starved for affordable housing, mental health resources, youth programming, and community investments that would foster true public safety. 

“I’m speaking for myself and others when I say that I do not want my taxes spent on a new jail, an old jail, nor any upgrades to any existing jails,” community organizer Anthony Heru Amen-Ra told The Defender in an interview. 

Amen-Ra also expressed anger at the lack of public input in the process, “Then yall ain’t giving a person a chance to vote on whether we want it or not… yall just going to take our money and do what yall see fit for us.”

Black people make up 24% of the city’s population but nearly 70% of those locked up on city charges. What safety is there in that? Who is being protected?

A $2.3 Million Disaster Waiting to Happen

Councilman Crispin Rea, sponsor of the ordinance, announced that this $2.3 million land purchase is for 23 acres of land from Jackson County for the construction of a “municipal rehabilitation and detention center.” 

Despite its misleading name, the facility is anything but a “rehabilitation” center. 

“Imagine being snatched out of your life for three or four days,” a leader from Prison Policy Initiative stated, “the consequences are extreme, especially for those living on the edge.”

It is Black and poor people who fill these cells. It is Black and poor people who are being torn from their families, stripped of their jobs, their homes, and their dignity. And it is Black and poor people who will suffer if this jail gets built.

Yet, Rea made it clear that this process will continue, with further approval required from the county legislature and a future public safety sales tax vote to fund the actual construction. 

The ordinance passed with an 11-1 vote, with Councilman Duncan as the sole abstention. “When you think about how much investment that is in comparison to the issues that it will actually solve, it’s not a good return on investment,” he told The Defender. “This facility will do nothing to address the public safety issues that are top of mind for most Kansas Citians.”

Incarceration Over Education: The Insidious Misallocation of Public Funds

In a city where Kansas City Public Schools haven’t passed a bond measure since 1967, our elected officials continue to pour millions of dollars into the very systems designed to perpetuate suffering. 

KCPS is desperately pleading with voters for a $474 million bond to repair crumbling buildings, update facilities, and offer students a future beyond neglect.

“The KC City Council is holding true to its larger roots and placing criminality over community interest by investing in jails instead of schools,” Julian Marshall, a KC Metro high school teacher told The Defender. “The best of us, is in the classroom today…they deserve to learn in classrooms, schools, and communities  that reflect their brilliance! It’s worrisome that our City Council sees a future filled with fugitives.”

The district faces over $650 million in deferred maintenance, forcing children to learn in dilapidated environments while teachers are grossly underpaid.

More than simply mismanagement; it is the clearest possible representation of how Kansas City prioritizes criminalization over education and opportunity, particularly for its Black residents.

This cycle of disinvestment in education and hyper-investment in cages can only be the sign of a sick, barbaric system. 

“I just find it really sad how city council and the mayor can casually pull millions out their ass to build infrastructures that would only be used to lock people up when our local community leaders and orgs have to beg and plead for them to work with us on getting the people the resources they need to stay out of jails,” – Ikemba Sahih El Shabazz, Organizer for Decarcerate KC and longtime resident of 31st & Prospect

A Disappointing Betrayal

This decision is made all the more disappointing because it represents a betrayal by several council members who have historically aligned with the Black community and progressive causes. Some of the most concerning votes came from Councilwoman Robinson, Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley, and Councilman Curls, who have consistently positioned themselves as advocates for Black Kansas Citians. 

By voting in favor of this ordinance, those who claim to be allies have chosen to invest in a system designed to harm Black people, rather than addressing root causes like poverty, mental health, and housing insecurity. 

It shows how even those we consider allies can reinforce the carceral state when push comes to shove.

What Now?

We need to tell our city leaders loud and clear: no new jails, no new land for cages. Our tax dollars should not be used to fund our own oppression.

It’s time to stop building institutions designed to destroy us and start investing in the future we deserve. Black Kansas City has already rejected this jail once, and we must reject it again.

Let’s build community, not cages. Let’s invest in our people, not in jails.

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