State Initiatives: Kentucky
In 2011, Kentucky passed HB 463, the Public Safety and Offender Accountability Act, to reduce one of the nation’s fastest-growing prison populations. From 2000 to 2009, the Kentucky prison population had grown by 45 percent, compared to 13 percent for the U.S. state prison system overall.i From 1980 to 2009, the state’s prison population had grown 442% from 3,723 inmates to about 20,200 inmates.ii To pay for this increase, total state spending on corrections in 2009 reached $513 million, up from $117 million in 1989.iii
The first goal of HB 463 was to prioritize expensive prison space for the most serious offenders. The legislation did this, in part, by introducing graduated penalties that diverted minor drug offenders to probation and treatment, while reserving limited prison space for the high-level drug traffickers. Another goal of the legislation was to reduce recidivism of parolees and probationers by, among other things, expanding electronic monitoring, enhancing post-release supervision, incorporating graduated sanctions, and authorizing earned compliance credits for parolees. HB 463 also authorized two pilot programs based on the Hawaii’s HOPE model and the reinvestment of a portion of state savings at the county-level. The third goal of the legislation was to improve data collection and to rely on this data for performance-based incentive funding pilot projects. The complete reform package passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 96-1 in the House. It was signed into law by the Governor on March 3, 2011.
The legislation was the byproduct of a group of leaders from all three branches of government who partnered with the Pew Center on the States Public Safety Performance Project to develop strategies for reducing recidivism while holding offenders accountable and controlling corrections spending. Those announcing the effort included: Governor Steve Beshear, Senate President David L. Williams, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, Chief Justice John Minton, Senate Judiciary Chairman Tom Jensen, and House Judiciary Chairman John Tilley.
i “Kentucky to Partner with the Pew Center on the States to Improve Public Safety, Contain Costs,” Pew Center on the States Public Safety Performance Project, 11 Aug. 2010.
ii Ibid.
iii Ibid.
iv Ibid.
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David Keene op-ed in Salem Statesman-Journal
Posted in Kentucky, Oregon, Pennsylvania, ROC Blog, South Dakota, Texas: May 13, 2013 by Brendan Steinhauser
In an op-ed published in today’s Statesman Journal, Right on Crime signatory and NRA president David Keene urges conservatives to examine whether taxpayers are getting the most from the money spent on public safety. He highlights state data that shows Oregon’s criminal justice system is not passing this cost-benefit test. While Oregon has been a leader [...]
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Vikrant Reddy interviewed by Matt Lewis of The Daily Caller
Posted in Audio, Kentucky, Prisons, ROC Blog, Victims: April 11, 2013 by Brendan Steinhauser
Vikrant Reddy joined The Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis today to talk about conservative ideas for criminal justice reform. They spoke about Senator Rand Paul’s speech to Howard University yesterday, as well as our broader Right on Crime issue set. LISTEN NOW! Also, here is a blog post up at the DC where Lewis describes the interview [...]
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Senator Rand Paul talks criminal justice at Howard University
Posted in Adult Probation, Juvenile Justice, Kentucky, Law Enforcement, Overcriminalization, Parole and Re-Entry, Prisons, ROC Blog, Substance Abuse: April 10, 2013 by Brendan Steinhauser
Read the full text of Senator Rand Paul’s speech at Howard University today. He focused on how conservative values, including those that deal with criminal justice reform, can better people’s lives and limit government power. Here is an excerpt from the speech today. Our federal mandatory minimum sentences are simply heavy handed and arbitrary. They [...]
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Senator Rand Paul leading the way on Criminal Justice Reform
Posted in Kentucky, Overcriminalization, Prisons, ROC Blog: April 5, 2013 by Brendan Steinhauser
We were pleased to read this article in The Washington Times by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. The good senator is supporting Right on Crime principles of fighting crime, prioritizing victims and saving taxpayer dollars. He is trying to move legislation that would reform the federal mandatory minimum laws currently on the books. Senator Paul knows [...]
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The Conservative Case Against More Prisons
Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Prisons, ROC Blog, Vermont: March 18, 2013 by Brendan Steinhauser
Our policy experts Vikrant Reddy and Marc Levin wrote an excellent piece recently for The American Conservative magazine. It’s entitled, “The Conservative Case Against More Prisons” and appeared in the latest issue of the magazine. Here is an excerpt: There are other ways to hold offenders—particularly nonviolent ones—accountable. These alternatives when properly implemented can lead [...]
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Discussing Juvenile Justice with “Pure Politics” in Kentucky
Posted in Audio and Video, Juvenile Justice, Kentucky, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives, Uncategorized, Video: December 16, 2012 by Vikrant P. Reddy
Last month, Right On Crime’s Jeanette Moll traveled to Kentucky to present research on juvenile justice to stakeholders involved in reforming several aspects of the state juvenile system — including how it handles status offenders.
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Justice System Reinvestment Pays Additional Dividends
Posted in Kentucky, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives, Substance Abuse: November 28, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
When criminal justice systems reduce prison populations and reinvest a portion of the savings in evidence-based methods of reducing crime, not only are taxpayer dollars saved, but more efficient and effective programs can be fiscally prioritized.
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Kentucky Continues New Focus on Juvenile Justice Reform
Posted in Juvenile Justice, Kentucky, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: February 20, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
Right on Crime recently highlighted a Kentucky judge’s pilot program to better handle status offenders. Now the legislature, too, is joining the effort.
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Kentucky Begins to Focus on Status Offenders
Posted in Juvenile Justice, Kentucky, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: February 15, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
Late last year, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported that Kentucky locks up status offenders at one of the highest rates in the nation. Status offenses are those that are only a crime as a result of the age of the offender—like running away from home, truancy, and possession of alcohol.
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Kentucky Passes Legislation to Address Out-of-Control Corrections Costs
Posted in Kentucky, ROC Blog: April 29, 2011 by Joseph A. Adams
On March 3, 2011, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law HB 463—a criminal justice reform bill designed to decrease the state’s prison population, reduce incarceration costs, reduce crime and increase public safety. The Public Safety and Offender Accountability Act was a…
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