Frankfort, Ky. (Feb, 28 2024)—Today, the Kentucky Smart on Crime Coalition, a group of 14 partner organizations working for common sense justice reforms, released the below statements after HB 124 cleared the Kentucky House Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee. The bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Emily Callaway of Louisville helps promote true second chances […]

Frankfort, Ky. (Mar. 30, 2023)—Today, the Kentucky Smart on Crime Coalition, a group of 14 partner organizations working for common sense justice reforms, released the below statement after HB 353 received final passage in the Kentucky General Assembly. The legislation, sponsored by House Health Service Committee Chairwoman Kim Moser of Taylor Mill, directs the Cabinet […]

Today, Kentucky Smart on Crime, a coalition of 14 organizations dedicated to justice reforms in the Commonwealth, announced its 2023 agenda for the Kentucky General Assembly.  The group, which was established in 2016, has its sights set on tackling the Commonwealth’s overreliance on incarceration as well as addressing overdose crisis.  Areas of focus include investment in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, reclassification of simple possession, increasing access to expungement, reform of the Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) statute, and more.

“America is a Nation of second chances, and it is critical that our criminal and juvenile justice systems provide meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation and redemption.”  – White House Proclamation of April as Second Chance Month As an advocacy coalition, Kentucky Smart on Crime believes strongly in the power of lived experience in discussions with lawmakers and […]

Frankfort, Ky. (March. 24, 2022)—Today, the Kentucky Smart on Crime Coalition released the following statement after the Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary advanced HB 311, sponsored by House Judiciary Chairman Ed Massey, legislation aimed at relieving the severe backlog of court cases in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  HB 311 offers a legislative endorsement […]

Today, the Kentucky Smart on Crime Coalition released the following statement after the Senate Education Committee advanced SB 163, sponsored by Senator Brandon Storm, legislation aimed at removing barriers to educational attainment for Kentuckians who have a felony conviction. 

  Focus will be expungement,  penal code changes, reentry, as well as strong investments in substance use disorder treatment Frankfort, Ky. (Dec. 22, 2021)— Today, Kentucky Smart on Crime, a coalition of 14 organizations dedicated to justice reforms in the Commonwealth, announced its 2022 agenda for the Kentucky General Assembly.  The group, which was established […]

The Best New Investment Legislators Can Make in the 2022 Session To reduce recidivism, Kentucky can take a small but meaningful step prior to release Through a series of smart policy reforms, the Commonwealth has made substantial strides toward reducing its sky-high recidivism rate in the last five years, improving from an abysmal 44.5% to […]

Research organization’s policy and data analysis helps group make sound recommendations As a founding Kentucky Smart on Crime partner organization, KyPolicy has been an integral player, helping the coalition identify and advocate for data-backed approaches to some of the Commonwealth’s most-pressing and most-difficult justice issues. Launched in 2011, KyPolicy is a non-partisan research organization focused […]

BLOG: Five Years of Advocacy—Kentucky Smart on Crime is Making an Impact in Frankfort He may not have known it at the time, but when then-Kentucky Public Advocate Ed Monahan convened a meeting with ACLU of Kentucky and Catholic Conference of Kentucky in late 2015 to discuss criminal justice reform efforts at the state level, […]