Harsh Sentences Cause Kentucky Prison Population to Soar

Kentucky's 35-year war on drugs has produced “brutally harsh sentences,” flooded the prison system with non-violent and petty offenders, and helped push the state budget to the “outer edge of fiscal distress,” according to an article in the Louisville Courier-Journal.

The article reports on a recent study by the author of the state's penal code revealing that penalties for drug offenses are responsible for crowding prisons with offenders who pose little risk to others. These offenders are forced to serve lengthy terms that were once reserved for "society's worst actors," University of Kentucky Prof. Robert Lawson said in his report on Kentucky's skyrocketing prison population.

Lawson said the state needs to rethink laws that enhance penalties for selling drugs near schools or while in possession of a gun when the firearm isn’t used. He called for the elimination of “double enhancements” that allow offenders to be punished for repeat drug offenses and being persistent felons.

Criminal justice officials support some of Lawson's recommended changes, although most are expected to face opposition from politicians who don't want to appear "soft" on crime.

J. Michael Brown, secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, said he would welcome legislative review of graduated drug penalties and other sentence enhancements.

To read the article, click here.

For more information drug policy reform and mandatory minimums, visit Justice Fellowship’s resource page here.