The word “crisis” was used more than once Tuesday to describe the status of Kentucky’s prison population. The description came during testimony before the House Budget subcommittee on public safety.
While the agenda item referred to a review of Governor Bevin’s recommended budget, much attention focused on major overcrowding in state prisons and county jails. Justice and Public Safety Secretary John Tilley.“We’re in the crisis, but we’re staring at the edge of a cliff and we could fall over it,” noted Tilley.
That cliff amounts to projections that, if nothing changes, by May of 2019 the state will not be able to accept any new prisoners. Northern Kentucky Representative Arnold Simpson urged giving more consideration to home incarceration.“I would hope that we’re going to explore that. I mean we cannot continue to build prisons,” said Simpson.
The authorized re-opening of three private prisons is not expected to meet inmate population demands beyond May of next year. Tilley says increased drug treatment and raising the felony threshold level could offer the greatest prison population relief.
