Early release inmates have hundreds of violations by WHAS11 WHAS11.com Posted on March 13, 2012 at 6:11 PM
Updated today at 6:22 PM Related:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- A little more than two months after an early release of inmates, we've learned those same inmates committed hundreds of violations.
Not only that, many of them seem to have disappeared.
It was only about two months ago when 1,370 inmates were released six months early to help save the state millions of dollars.
Newly released statistics show that many of those who got a lucky break are ending up back in county jails and even back n prison.
Since January, the Commonwealth reports 309 of the 1,370 released inmates have committed violations, or about 22 percent.
“It's just two months. It's only been two months,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Leland Hulbert said. “It's not like these people made it a year or two then they got into trouble. It's almost right away.”
A total of 907 violations have been documented so far, including drug use, weapons offenses and committing new felonies.
“Some concern us more than others, specifically the absconding. People that just got this break and then left. We can't find them,” Hulbert said.
Statistics show 163 of those inmates, or about one out of eight, can't be located by their probation officers.
“You don't have no support system, you're just going right back where you came from,” Jesse, an inmate released back in January, said.
He now has a job, sobriety and a support system, thanks to The Brady Center, a new prison transition program run by The Healing Place.
The state hopes more centers like the one in Louisville open in the coming months to assist inmates in other parts of the state, where they may have less support.
“About 50 percent of our population right now is employed in a full time job. We've had great success,” Karyn Hascal, who helps oversee the 140 bed facility, said.
“We're not bad people. We just made mistakes in our lives and are trying to better ourselves,” Jesse said.
Jesse admits he's been released then returned to prison before.
In Kentucky, 30 percent of released inmates return in two years.
“I'm gonna make it this time. I honestly think so,” Jesse said.
"We're seeing the same types of violations we do with the regular supervised population, but it's too early to tell if the numbers are greater,” Lisa Lamb, Spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Corrections, said.
“The number of violations in this report shows that the Department of Corrections is holding these people accountable,” she said
“Is this just normal? Is this what we should expect? We'll learn in time,” said Hulbert.
So far, about 12 percent of those released in January have had their probation revoked or are awaiting probation revocation.
The rest of those violations didn't rise to the level of seriousness.
State officials say it will take about six months to determine if the early release resulted in more problems that normal releases.
