Kentucky’s House Bill 291 is looking to pave the way for parents who are the primary caregivers and facing incarceration to remain with their families.
The bill, sponsored by 10 Republicans, and Democrats Nima Kulkarni and Anne Gay Donworth, would offer a way for non-violent offenders to seek alternatives to incarceration. The bill specifies that the offender must be a non-violent offender and the victim must not be a minor child. The bill does allow for the courts to require the offender to participate “in programs and services that support the parent-child relationship.”
The bill advanced out of the House Families and Children Committee.
Kentucky Youth Advocates’ executive director Dr. Terry Brooks responded to the news positively noting that “Kentucky has the third highest rate of parental incarceration in the nation, with over 100,000 children having experienced the disruption and trauma of being separated from a parent. The Family Preservation and Accountability Act, co-championed by Senator Julie Raque Adams and Representative Nick Wilson, seeks to hold parents accountable for their actions while minimizing the negative impact of having a parent locked up on children.”
Additionally, Brooks noted that “expanding the court’s options for community-based alternative sentencing for those who are a primary caregiver keeps families together, supports rehabilitation, and can improve outcomes for both the children and the parent – and ultimately save the state millions of dollars in direct incarceration costs.”
The bill now advances to the House floor for a vote.
