Kentucky Jail Population
Kentucky Prison Population
Kentucky Jail Population
Kentucky Prison Population
Kentucky Jail Population
Kentucky Prison Population
Kentucky Jail Population
Kentucky Prison Population
How do we compare to other places?
- In November 2020, Kentucky was ranked the 3rd highest state for rate of women being imprisoned.
- If Kentucky continues incarcerating people at its current pace, every Kentuckian would be locked up in XXX years.
Is the system fair?
In short, the answer is no.
- Pretrial bail treats those with money differently from those who do not have resources, with some able to pay their way out while others sit in jail even if arrested for the same offense.
- There are large disparities among counties regarding who is released without having to pay and who isn’t. For instance, while just 6% of district court cases in 2021 resulted in release on nonfinancial conditions in McCracken County it was 66% in Barren County, both in the western part of the state — and in Lawrence County in eastern Kentucky 69% of cases resulted in release on nonfinancial conditions.
Kentucky’s high rates of incarceration don’t make our communities safer, and it causes harm to individuals, families and the state as a whole.
Our state’s incarceration problems are driven by many policies and practices, including unjust pretrial detention practices, punitive criminal drug laws, harsh sentencing policies, a lack of reentry support and financing systems that actually incentivize incarceration.
There are state policies that would reduce incarceration and support safe and healthy communities in Kentucky.
WHY UnlockKY?
UnlockKY is a resource for those interested in understanding why Kentucky incarcerates so many people, the impacts of over incarceration on our communities and on individuals, and what we can do about it.
We’ve gathered data illustrating the extent of the problem, research demonstrating the harm, and policies that would move us forward as a state. Mass incarceration not only robs Kentuckians of their freedom and their dignity, it holds all of Kentucky back.
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