Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
Governor’s Re-Entry Task Force to meet

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Governor’s Re-Entry Task Force, charged with developing recommendations for helping former inmates re-enter their communities and reducing the likelihood that they will reoffend, will meet this Thursday. 

The task force, chaired by Justice and Public Safety Secretary J. Michael Brown, will kick off its business portion at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lexington Downtown Hotel and Conference Center.

Gary Kempker, Senior Manager of the Center For Effective Public Policy, will provide a national overview on re-entry, which will be followed by a look at Kentucky’s re-entry efforts and statistics.

Governor Steve Beshear appointed the group earlier this year to research best practices in innovative drug treatment; causes of recidivism; and methods to improve education and vocational training while incarcerated.  The goal is to reduce recidivism by 50 percent over a five-year period.

“Re-entry is a critical component of our effort to improve public safety while investing criminal justice dollars more effectively,” Sec. Brown said.  “By identifying and addressing the challenges former inmates face when they eventually re-enter society, we can break the cycle that keeps them coming back into the correctional system.”

The Commonwealth’s overall recidivism rate – defined as inmates returning within 24 months of their release – stands at 35 percent.  However, the majority are technical violators – inmates returned to prison for violating conditions of their probation or parole, not for a new felony charge.  Less than 9 percent of those released are returned to prison for a new felony offense.