New FBI Data Shows No Evidence of a Violent Crime Wave in Kentucky
Recently-released FBI crime data for 2023 shows a slight increase in total violent crime in Kentucky compared to 2022, but...
Criminal Justice
More Kids Will Be Locked in Kentucky’s Troubled Juvenile Detention Facilities Due to Laws Going Into Effect This Month
Several of the most harmful criminal legal system policy changes in recent Kentucky history go into effect this month, increasing incarceration among children and adults alike. House Bill (HB) 5...
The 2024 Kentucky General Assembly Was the Most Regressive for Criminal Legal System Policies in Recent Memory
More than any legislative session in recent memory, the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly doubled down on harmful policies that will result in longer sentences, Kentuckians locked up for being poor,...
Senate Bill 20 Would Allow More Children to Be Prosecuted as Adults
Prosecuting children in adult court leads to harsher consequences and harmful long-term outcomes, both for the children and the greater community. Yet Senate Bill (SB) 20 would make it easier...
Crime Statistics Do Not Support Claims of a Crime Wave in Kentucky
The sponsors of House Bill (HB) 5, which will significantly increase incarceration in Kentucky by harshening penalties and lengthening sentences for a broad array of crimes, claim that the commonwealth...
Companion Bills to Automate Expungement Would Give Hundreds of Thousands of Kentuckians a Second Chance
Involvement in the criminal legal system, even just once, can have long-lasting consequences that negatively affect social and economic mobility, and quality of life. An estimated 38% of Kentucky adults...
House Bill 5 Would Cost Kentucky More Than $1 Billion Over a Decade
The Kentucky Senate is now considering House Bill (HB) 5, legislation containing the most sweeping expansion of the state’s criminal statutes in decades. In addition to increasing incarceration, hardship and...
House Bill 5 Arrives in Senate With Changes That Make It Even More Harmful
Last week, the House passed House Bill (HB) 5, a sprawling collection of tried-and-failed policies that will increase incarceration, hardship and the risk of fatal overdose in Kentucky. Prior to...
House Bill 5 Doubles Down on Ineffective Policies That Will Further Increase Incarceration and Hardship
All Kentuckians deserve to feel safe in their communities, but sending even more people to jail and prison, and for longer, will not make us safer. And yet, that’s the...
Floor Amendment to HB 5 Proposes New Harmful Changes That Far Outweigh Attempts at Making Bill Less Harsh
The House is expected to vote on House Bill (HB) 5 today with a floor amendment from its primary sponsor. Rather than make the bill less harsh, nearly all of...