Our nation’s criminal justice system (and on the flip side, our freedoms) is an outlier compared to other first world countries. One of the statistics frequently used when discussing the stark difference between the U.S. and the rest of the world goes as follows – the United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, but we currently have nearly one-fourth of the world’s prison population.
This statistic is confounding when you consider the fact that the United States doesn’t necessarily have a higher crime rate than other industrialized countries with dramatically lower imprisonment rates. It’s made even more bleak by the fact that over three-quarters of prisoners released from U.S. prisons will be arrested again within five years of their release.
Kentucky, like the rest of the country, is struggling to deal with the nature of our criminal justice system, which is a massive strain on our state’s budget, not to mention an endless cycle of imprisonment and injustice for some of our most impoverished citizens.
It was against this backdrop that Governor Matt Bevin wrote a column calling for major changes in our state’s criminal justice system. In that article, Bevin touted the formation of the Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council.
“This 23-member panel of dedicated people from across the Commonwealth will review existing research and data-driven evidence to build a smarter, stronger and better system of justice,” wrote Bevin.
The governor mentions the changes that Kentucky’s criminal justice and prison system have undergone in recent years, including “modernized” drug laws and juvenile justice reform. He also sets out some of the challenges that still must be addressed, such as reducing the amount of money we spend on our corrections system (about half a billion dollars last year).
It’s difficult for interested onlookers to say just how much will actually be accomplished by the new governor. For those of us who have first-hand experience with our criminal justice system on a daily basis, it’s understandable that many would be skeptical of the possibility of real, dramatic change. Public announcements from our lawmakers about ambitious efforts to reform our criminal justice system are not exactly a new trend.
Still, those of us familiar with the challenges in our state certainly hope that something will be done. After witnessing a boom in Kentucky’s prison population, which grew 45 percent from 2000 to 2010, we know all too well that it will require a massive effort to take on this particular challenge.
Our drug laws, even with the recent financing of drug courts, put addicts in a vicious cycle of imprisonment when they should be geared toward treating them. Our endless cycle of imprisonment, release and re-arrest is evidence that our system is incredibly ineffective in providing inmates with a second chance in life. The disproportionate imprisonment rate of minorities makes many citizens feel that the system is rigged against them.
It’s not just charity and goodwill that should be our motivation in improving the system. The economic incentives of spending less on prisons would make the most hard-hearted taxpayer hope for change. It’s truly in all of our best interests to change the way in which we do things in our criminal justice system.
In answer to the question posed by the title of this article, we don’t know what kind of changes are coming to our state’s criminal justice system, but we do know that change is desperately needed. The prospect of its being a centerpiece of this governor’s agenda gives us hope, but the road ahead is no doubt a long one.
If you find you or a loved one charged with a crime contact our attorneys for help. Our lawyers specialize in helping defendants fight back on assault charges, misdemeanors, domestic violence, property crimes, drug charges and more, call today.