Topeka ? State investigations of inmate deaths would help remove the possibility of cover-ups by institutions where a prisoner has died or been killed, supporters told a Senate committee Friday.

Under a bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation would be required to investigate all deaths that occur inside prisons or local jails. The KBI’s findings would be considered public information.

KBI spokesman Kyle Smith said his agency supported the measure, but he suggested it might not be necessary to investigate some cases in which an inmate obviously died of natural causes.

“This makes good public policy,” Smith said. “We’re not looking for additional work, but we would be happy to do this.”

The proposal was brought to the Legislature by Sonny Scroggins, a Topeka civil rights advocate who has supported independent investigations. Scroggins has been outspoken on the issue in Kansas and other states.

Cathy Thomas, of Topeka, whose son committed suicide in 2002 while in the Shawnee County Jail, said no one would tell her how someone on suicide watch could successfully kill himself.

“When a child dies in parental custodial care, there is a mandatory outside investigation. But when somebody’s child dies in government custody, they investigate themselves,” Thomas said. “The only people that would object to an outside investigation are the people that have something to hide.”

Elizabeth Gillespie, director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, said she would welcome outside investigators when an inmate dies. She said she supported the measure not because her department has anything to hide, but because a KBI probe would add credibility to the investigation process.

“We are supporting this bill because we believe that having one agency responsible for conducting all inmate death investigations will bring efficiency and consistency to the process,” Gillespie said.

At her weekly press conference, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said she supported the legislation.

“I think it’s always appropriate, when a death occurs in a facility, that an outside, thorough review take place and that we figure out what happens and it never happens again,” Sebelius said Friday.

Inmate death investigation bill is SB 469.