What would be the public and media reaction to a prison break in Kentucky? Where nearly 1,000 convicted felons escaped from the state’s major prisons and were allowed by authorities to endanger the public? Well it happened here on January 3, 2012 in Kentucky.

Lawmakers estimate all the reforms from House Bill 463 – the Public Safety and Offender Accountability Act – will save the state $422 million in the next 10 years.

Kentucky has joined a growing number of states that have reformed their corrections system to reduce jail populations and costs.

Part of the bill would implement mandatory re-entry supervision that would grant a supervised release for some non-violent offenders who have six months or less left to go on their sentences.

Proponents say this will help inmates get back on their feet. Others have concerns the state will release prisoners who shouldn’t be back on the streets and burden law enforcement and other services.

Of the 969 state prisoners to be released Jan. 3, 26 are from the Campbell County jail, 9 are from the Kenton County jail, and 2 are from the Boone County jail, according to the Kentucky Department of Corrections.

The state will only release prisoners who have a good record in prison and don’t pose a risk to society, said State Rep. John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville, who was the lead sponsor of House Bill 463. The state has hired 60 additional probation and parole officers statewide to handle the increased supervision, he said. “More government jobs created - more taxpayer’s money spent.” The supervision includes referring prisoners into treatment. Mental health and drug treatment facilities around the state are also prepared to handle more inmates, Tilley said. Four new drug treatment centers will open soon in Kentucky. “More taxpayer’s money spent.”

The early supervised release will save $16 million-$20 million in three years, said State Rep. Joe Fischer, R-Fort Thomas, vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Proponents of the bill expect much of the savings will come from reducing the chances of criminals re-offending.

In its May 23, 2011, decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an order by a radical three-judge U.S. District Court panel to free thousands of convicted criminals, declaring that overcrowding in that state’s prisons amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment” banned under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Did these people go to prison for being outstanding upright, law abiding citizens? I don’t think so.

What can we do about this travesty? For starters, each of us must work toward the crucial elections in 2012, and that means choosing a new president of the United States who will appoint fair and impartial judges. And that means shaping a United States Senate and House that will confirm judges based on their caliber and character and not their activist bias.