Recidivism rates in Kentucky have declined for the second year in a row, with nearly 70 percent of inmates released from state custody not being reincarcerated.
According to the Kentucky Department of Corrections Recidivism (KDOC), Kentucky defines recidivism as an individual’s return to the institutional custody of the Department of Corrections within 2 years of release from a State institution or contract facility by parole, shock probation or completion of sentence.
In a press release made by Governor Beshear, the administration reported that the current recidivism rate is 30.32 percent, which is lower than the year prior.
Historically, Kentucky has had a fairly high recidivism rate, with the KDOC recording approximately a 30 to 40 percent recidivism rate between 2009 and 2018.
In 2011, Kentucky lawmakers created House Bill 463, with the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) providing technical assistance, in an attempt to lower the recidivism rate and reduce the high cost of incarceration.
According to the JRI, the legislation aimed at strengthening community and practices through using a risk and needs assessment, using evidence-based practices and focusing resources on those individuals at a higher risk of reoffending.
The focus of the legislation, at the time, was on nonviolent, low-level drug offenses and reducing recidivism through substance abuse treatment and other services. However, despite the efforts, the Urban Institute reported that the implementation of these policies was uneven and that Kentucky had not seen the results it expected.
In 2017, former Governor Matt Bevin and another JRI workgroup attempted to develop a policy that could reduce corrections populations while still protecting public safety. The changes were incorporated into House Bill 396, but it did not pass.
However, in 2023, Kentucky lawmakers tried a different approach. The Council of State Governments (CSG) reported that in 2023, the CSG Justice Center embarked on a Justice Reinvestment approach in Kentucky to help commonwealth leaders identify and address the most pressing domestic violence and intimate partner violence challenges.
While domestic violence and recidivism may not be linked on the surface, the CSG Justice Center found that domestic violence and intimate partner violence “appear to be drivers of recidivism and contribute to other criminal activities in Kentucky.” In this way, by addressing domestic violence concerns, lawmakers can also tackle recidivism.
The center recommended various initiatives to aid in reducing recidivism, including community-based intervention programs and strengthening supervision practices.
Since the study was released, various programs and bills have been passed. House Bill 5, or the Safer Kentucky Act, passed in March 2024, which included more strict policies, such as the “Three Strikes Law.” While Beshear vetoed the bill, it was overrode and passed into law.
Aside from legislation, Beshear has introduced various programs to aid incarcerated persons. According to a press release by the administration, some of these programs include launching the Jobs on Day One Initiative, establishing reentry centers inside of 14 state prisons, launching different technical education courses in prisons across the commonwealth and establishing the Governor’s Council of Second Chance Employers.
Additionally, the website secondchance.ky.gov, created by Beshear, has resources for Kentuckians overcoming addiction or leaving prison.
“My faith teaches me about the importance of second chances, and in Kentucky, we’re making sure all of our people have the tools they need to succeed,” said Beshear. “What we’re doing is working, and by keeping more Kentuckians from returning to prison, we’re ending generational cycles of crime and making our communities safer for our kids and families.”
In Beshear’s recent press release, he proposed a new reentry campus, which has garnered bipartisan support from the General Assembly. House Bill 5, filed by Rep. Jennifer Decker, has a focus on educational programs within prisons and would establish the program Beshear highlighted. While the bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee, it still awaits the General Assembly.
