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...

Op-Ed

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...

Analysis

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...

Report

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...

Op-Ed

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...

Report

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...

Analysis

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...

Op-Ed

Kentucky Has an Opportunity to Continue Steps to Reducing Incarceration by Addressing Harsh “Persistent Felony Offender” Laws

One Step Forward, Six Steps Back: A Decade After Widely Hailed Criminal Justice Reform, Incarceration Is Worsening in Kentucky

What the Legislature Can Do to Improve the Return Home for Kentuckians Leaving Incarceration

In Decade Since Major Criminal Justice Reform, the Kentucky General Assembly Has Passed Six Times as Many Laws Increasing Incarceration as Decreasing It

To Address Mass Incarceration, Kentucky Must End Perverse Incentives to Expand and Crowd Local Jails

The Golden Key: How State-Local Financial Incentives to Lock Up Kentuckians Are Perpetuating Mass Incarceration

The 2021 Legislative Session Criminal Justice Wrap Up: Some Important Wins that Should Be Built on to Achieve Systemic Change

The 2021 Legislative Session Saw Important Criminal Justice Progress, But We Must Continue to Work for Systemic Change

SB 4 Would Limit No-Knock Warrants and Reduce Harm, but New Amendments Undermine Positive Impact

SB 36 Would Protect Children from Automatically Being Tried as Adults

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