The 2021 session of the Kentucky General Assembly brought a number of major successes for the Kentucky Smart on Crime Coalition, but we were not able to pass every item on our agenda. One of a  few priorities that did not make it across the finish line in the short session was SB 237 sponsored by […]

Frankfort, Ky. (April 9, 2021)— Today, in a timely celebration of April as Second Chance Month, Kentucky Smart on Crime, a coalition of 14 organizations dedicated to justice reforms in the Commonwealth, joined State Senator Julie Raque Adams of Louisville and State Representative Kim Moser of Taylor Mill in a virtual ceremony as Kentucky Gov. […]

Frankfort, Ky. (March 31, 2021)— Today, Kentucky Smart on Crime, a coalition of 14 organizations dedicated to justice reforms in the Commonwealth, saluted the General Assembly for a largely productive session that resulted in the passage of six important bills with strong bipartisan support. “There seems to be a growing recognition in the General Assembly […]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ)— Committees in the state Legislature continued their work Thursday with a full slate of proposed legislation on many of their agendas. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the SB 84, dubbed “Dignity Bill Part 2” and sponsored by Senator Julie Raque Adams, which is aimed at providing pregnant women in incarceration the resources for […]

A bill that would prevent some teenagers from automatically being tried as adults in the court system passed out of a committee in the Kentucky legislature on Thursday. Senate Bill 36, the so-called “juvenile justice bill,” would do away with the state’s automatic transfer law, which requires minors age 14 or older to be tried […]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ)— Legislation that would change many petty thefts from a felony t a misdemeanor cleared a key legislative committee Wednesday, drawing praise from criminal justice reform advocates. The House Judiciary Committee advanced HB 126, sponsored by Chairman C. Ed Massey, legislation aimed at bringing Kentucky’s felony theft threshold statutes to the national median of […]

The current session of the General Assembly offers an opportunity to continue to explore new avenues. 2020 was a trying time for the Commonwealth.  COVID-19 forced us to reconsider what was important and adjust how we conduct our daily affairs.  In our justice system, it meant keeping guards and people in incarceration safe by addressing […]

New and veteran lawmakers share their priorities, hear from directly impacted individuals in recovery, participate in reentry simulation Frankfort, KY (Dec. 17, 2020)— Kentucky Smart on Crime, a broad-based coalition comprised of partner organizations from across the Commonwealth held a 2021 Kentucky General Assembly Legislative Preview event on Dec. 15.  The event was co-hosted by […]

BR236 would eliminate a provision that prohibits individuals with felony convictions from eligibility for the KEES Scholarship Frankfort, KY (Nov. 18, 2020)— Kentucky Smart on Crime, a broad-based coalition comprised of partner organizations from across the Commonwealth, today endorsed BR 236, legislation prefiled by Kentucky State Representative James Tipton (Taylorsville), that would remove barriers to […]

Seventh-highest overall rate, third-highest female rate point to need for serious action from state lawmakers   Louisville, KY (Oct. 28, 2020)— New data from the federal agency charged with tracking criminal justice statistics around the nation again highlights Kentucky’s grim per capita imprisonment rate.   For the second year in a row, Kentucky had the seventh-highest […]