Regulation speeds up discharge of parolees to relieve overcrowding

FRANKFORT, KY (WAVE) - Kentucky Department of Corrections is implementing an emergency regulation to expedite release of certain offenders who have already been approved for parole.

The move will impact around 570 inmates whose cases have been reviewed by Kentucky's independent Parole Board as part of the normal discharge process. Before the change in regulation, these inmates were already deemed safe for parole and were scheduled for release within 60 days.

The regulation is designed to free up prison and jail beds so that offenders can be transferred out of the most crowded jails, where high populations have raised concerns over safety and operations, the press release said.

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Since January of 2016, Kentucky's inmate population has grown 6.9 percent, slowing the transfer of inmates from county jails to state prisons after an offender has been convicted in court.

Kentucky officials believe this is the first step in addressing the issue of overcrowding in prisons and jails. Several Kentucky counties are already undertaking jail expansion projects, which are expected to increase capacity by approximately 1,706 beds in the next 24 to 36 months.

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