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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Gov. Beshear signs into law several criminal justice measures
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law today two significant pieces of legislation that will enable Kentucky to pursue long-term strategies for controlling rising prison populations while continuing the modernization of the Commonwealth’s penal code.
SB 4 offers both first-time and repeat substance abuse offenders an opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment during the pretrial phase of court preceding. If the treatment is completed successfully, they may never incur a subsequent felony charge—keeping them from going deeper into the criminal justice system.
“Senate Bill 4 represents a culture change in dealing with addicted offenders. We can keep these individuals in intensive treatment while they continue to work under strict supervision. This will protect the public while saving millions of dollars in corrections costs. It will also save the lives of those who successfully complete this treatment track,” said Sen. Dan Kelly.
Recent reports from the Criminal Justice Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study indicate that participants receiving prison or jail-based substance abuse treatment show significant improvement in positive behavior. What’s more, the percentage of participants receiving treatment who reported using any illegal drug during the 12 months after their release decreased by more than 50 percent from before incarceration.
“Ending the cycle of substance abuse and incarceration is imperative for the future of the Commonwealth,” Gov. Beshear said. “Through the leadership of Senator Dan Kelly, Senate Bill 4 will be the first step toward stopping the current revolving door of repeat offenders in Kentucky’s criminal justice system.”
This program is a unique and effective collaboration between all three branches of government: the legislative, which passed the law; the judicial, which must approve the participants; and the executive, which will oversee the program.
The program is estimated to save more than $1.4 million annually, based on 200 applicants.
Additionally, Gov. Beshear signed into law House Bill 372, which credits time on parole toward completion of an offender’s sentence, unless he or she had been returned to prison for the conviction of a new felony or had absconded while on parole. This measure codifies language in the current biennial budget.
This provision is being applied to inmates who have served time on parole and are back behind bars due to a technical violation, and offenders who are currently on parole. Inmates who are classified as violent offenders or who must register as a sex offender are ineligible.
The measure will save an estimated $15.4 million by the end of this fiscal year, and is expected to save more than $16 million in Fiscal Year 2010.
In order to further explore how to best reform the Kentucky Penal Code, Gov. Beshear signed into law Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 12. SJR 12 calls for the creation of a subcommittee of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary to take a critical look at the broader picture of penal code reform and identify necessary changes to our criminal justice system. A report of recommendations from this committee is due to the General Assembly no later than Dec. 1, 2009.
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