Beshear supports Kelly's prison diversion bill

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear reached out to Republican Senate Floor Leader Dan Kelly Tuesday to publicly back Kelly's bill to divert non-violent drug offenders out of the prison system.

Beshear, announcing his support for Senate Bill 72 in a hastily-called press conference outside his office, said he and Kelly have agreed that if the necessary $2 million start-up money for the program isn't immediately available, the provision would kick in when the money materializes.

"Sen. Kelly has a good idea," Beshear said. "There's growing support for this in both chambers."

The bill, which Kelly is pushing for the third year in a row, would create a 200-bed facility in which non-violent drug offenders would be treated. They also would be responsible for paying some of the treatment costs.

The long-term benefits, Kelly said, are that the program would divert offenders who otherwise could be sentenced to several years in prison and, if effective, could cut down on repeat offenders.

The program could save as much as $44 million a year from the correction department's strained budget. It also comes at a time when Kentucky led the nation in the annual increase in prison population that has caused the county jails and state prisons to nearly burst at the seams.

"I'm not proud of where Kentucky is and we need to do better than that," Beshear said.

The bill is currently pending in front of the House Judiciary Committee. That panel's chairman, Rep. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, said the measure is on the schedule to be taken up Wednesday.

She said the governor's support could be key to helping the bill pass the Democratic-controlled House, where it died last year.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said when told of Beshear's move to stand with Kelly. "That will be very helpful. That's one of the keys to solving this puzzle of overcrowding and financial problems."

- Ryan Alessi

Comments

[Anonymous Poster]

Good. For all you Beshear-bashers, this should be a sign to you that he doesn't play totally partisan politics...if a bill is there which is good public policy, he supports it no matter who brought it up. I also agree that this is a good idea and that we have to stop locking non-violent offenders up for 3 years for possessing drugs, because they get even more drugs in prison and then they keep right on after they get out. If we treated them in-patient and made them put money towards it (have a vested interest in their own treatment), I think we can make some headway at this problem. Other states have tried it and have had moderately successful results thusfar.