Kentucky Must Continue Momentum Reducing Jail and Prison Population
As we enter the seventh month of the COVID-19 pandemic, jails and prisons have been among the top “hotspots” for...
To Protect Kentuckians from COVID-19, State Needs to Build on Already Significant Declines in Incarceration
In recent weeks, important steps have been taken to address the public health crisis posed by incarceration in Kentucky’s jails and prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in historic declines...
Despite Some Progress, There Is Still an Urgent Need for Kentucky to Do More to Address the Potential Spread of COVID-19 in Jails and Prisons
Reducing the number of people in jails and prisons is increasingly a focus of state, local and also nationwide efforts to protect public health during the COVID-19 crisis. However, despite...
Kentucky Not Prepared for Next Recession
Amid the spread of COVID-19 and resulting business closures and layoffs, a recession is under way and could be particularly harmful in Kentucky due to the state’s failure to adequately...
HB 424’s Reformed Felony Threshold Would Reduce Incarceration for Low-Level Theft
Today the Senate Judiciary committee will hear a House-passed bill that would reduce incarceration – especially important as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to make Kentucky’s current jail overcrowding even more...
Paid Sick Leave Legislation Would Protect Health and Promote Economic Security
The COVID-19 pandemic is illustrating why Kentuckians must be able to stay home from work when they are sick. When people don’t have access to paid sick leave, the negative...
Report Shows Importance of Expungement to Kentuckians’ Health – House Bill 327 Would Be Step Forward
Expanding expungement in Kentucky is good for health, according to new research published by the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. The report details the findings from a...
Bill Supports Public Safety and Protects Children From Automatically Being Tried as Adults
Current law in Kentucky mandates that children charged with certain felony offenses be prosecuted as adults, rather than as juveniles. The current law limits the discretion of prosecutors and judges,...
Newly Available Data Shows Madison County Jail Crowding Driven by Low and Moderate Risk Defendants Awaiting Trial for Low Level Offenses
As the Madison County fiscal court prepares to vote tomorrow on whether or not to raise property taxes in order to fund a new $45 million jail, newly available data...
Building a Huge, Expensive Jail Would Be a Big Mistake for Madison County
Madison County residents are rightly concerned about extreme overcrowding in our jail – currently at 208% of capacity according to recent data from the Department of Corrections. The primary driver...