There’s Still Time for Kentucky to Reverse Course on Harmful Criminal Policies
The 2022 General Assembly has a big opportunity to build on positive changes in criminal policy from last session. Increasing...
Criminal Justice
Kentucky Has an Opportunity to Continue Steps to Reducing Incarceration by Addressing Harsh “Persistent Felony Offender” Laws
Kentucky’s Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) law is a punitive sentencing policy that emerged during the beginning of the so-called War on Drugs. While originally intended as a measure to deter...
One Step Forward, Six Steps Back: A Decade After Widely Hailed Criminal Justice Reform, Incarceration Is Worsening in Kentucky
Amid inflammatory — and frequently racist — news stories about violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentuckians may be wondering if more criminal punishment would make our communities safer. The answer...
What the Legislature Can Do to Improve the Return Home for Kentuckians Leaving Incarceration
Despite the harms to people, families and communities, Kentucky incarcerates 40% more people than the U.S. average. In addition, existing state and federal policies strip people reentering society of certain...
In Decade Since Major Criminal Justice Reform, the Kentucky General Assembly Has Passed Six Times as Many Laws Increasing Incarceration as Decreasing It
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the passage of 2011’s House Bill (HB) 463, “The Public Safety and Offender Accountability Act.”[efn_note]2011 Ky. Acts, ch. 2, https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/11RS/documents/0002.pdf.[/efn_note] HB 463 was...
To Address Mass Incarceration, Kentucky Must End Perverse Incentives to Expand and Crowd Local Jails
The United States incarcerates 5 times more people per capita than other wealthy countries. Yet, while some states are succeeding at reducing incarceration and its harms to individuals, families and...
The Golden Key: How State-Local Financial Incentives to Lock Up Kentuckians Are Perpetuating Mass Incarceration
Incarceration is harmful to individuals, families and communities, yet Kentucky incarcerates 40% more people per capita than the United States average, which is more than 5 times larger than other...
The 2021 Legislative Session Criminal Justice Wrap Up: Some Important Wins that Should Be Built on to Achieve Systemic Change
This year, the Kentucky General Assembly took important steps forward in criminal justice with the passage of policies that will reduce incarceration and related harms in modest but important ways...
The 2021 Legislative Session Saw Important Criminal Justice Progress, But We Must Continue to Work for Systemic Change
With Kentucky’s 2021 General Assembly now behind us, and with issues of police violence against Black Americans remaining in the national spotlight this week, it’s a good time to recognize...
SB 4 Would Limit No-Knock Warrants and Reduce Harm, but New Amendments Undermine Positive Impact
On the one year anniversary of the killing of Breonna Taylor by police in March 2020, public officials, community organizations and advocates continue to call for a ban of “no-knock”...