Criminal Justice Bills Passed This Session
As the session began, many were hopeful that the legislature was poised to pass criminal justice reforms that would make...
Criminal Justice
New Version of Drug Bill Would Have Serious Consequences for Addicts and Criminal Justice System
A new version of House Bill 333 passed the Senate Judiciary committee late last night. The bill contains very consequential changes for Kentuckians struggling with addiction, as well as the...
General Assembly Risks Driving Corrections Costs Higher
Going into this legislative session, the Kentucky General Assembly was poised to make criminal justice reforms that would reduce the state’s growing inmate population and associated costs while also maintaining...
Gang Bill Costly and Missing Effective Approaches to Supporting Youth
Too many in our state have experienced the devastating consequences of violent, sometimes gang-related crime, and our legislators understandably want to do something to stop it. House Bill 315 proposes...
What’s In the Criminal Justice Reform Bill, and What’s Not
Senate Bill 120, the bill coming out of the state’s Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council (CJPAC), proposes some positive steps to address barriers to successful reentry often experienced by former...
Harsher Criminal Penalties Not a Proven Way to Address Heroin Problem
We all want to see Kentucky address its devastating drug problems. The issue touches individuals and families from all walks of life across Kentucky, and too many of us have...
Mix of Criminal Justice Bills So Far in 2017 General Assembly
With Kentucky’s growing inmate population and high rates of recidivism, what we need in 2017 is legislation that will make these problems better, not worse. The criminal justice bills filed...
How Criminal Justice Reform Would Help Kentucky Kids
Criminal justice reform is important not just for adults but also for children, as highlighted in a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). This link is especially relevant...
Kentucky’s Repeat Offender Laws Need Reform
Last week Kentucky’s Public Advocate Ed Monahan testified to the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary that the state needs to reform its Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) laws. This is also...
Roundup on Kentucky’s Criminal Justice Reform Needs and Options
Kentucky’s criminal justice issues have been in the news recently. The majority of Kentucky’s full-service jails are at or over capacity, and the state is considering reopening private prisons as...