Family Preservation Act: Digital Toolkit

The Family Preservation Act is a solutions-focused policy that addresses the root causes of crime. The bill is modeled on legislation from other states that provide community-based alternatives to prison and/or jail to prioritize safety while keeping families together.

This bill encourages the use of community-based alternatives including, but not limited to:

  • therapy
  • case management
  • recovery services
  • vocational and educational services
  • job training

and more for Kentuckians who are parenting minor children and convicted of low-level drug and property crimes.

Community-based alternatives continue to require parents to face the consequences of their conviction but reduce the impact on Kentucky kids.

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If you have had experience with incarceration, either as a parent of a child or an adult child of an incarcerated person in Kentucky, please consider filling out this survey and connecting with our Advocacy Team!

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Kentucky kids are serving their parents' sentences, too.

12% of kids in Kentucky have experienced parental incarceration. These kids face feelings of abandonment, confusion, anger, and shame, and may struggle with the stigma associated with having a parent in prison.

Incarcerated parents are losing their children forever. The Family Preservation Act is solutions-focused and addresses the root causes of crime.

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135,325 Kentucky kids have a parent who has experienced incarceration.

Parental incarceration is one of the ten questions on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. Research shows that children of incarcerated parents face increased risks of emotional, physical, educational, and financial challenges which can lead to a cycle of intergenerational incarceration.

Kentucky's rate of incarceration continues to rise, with a disproportionate number of Black families impacted.

Black people in Kentucky make up 9% of the total population, but 22% of people in jail and 21% of people in prison.

https://vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/pdfdownloads/state-incarceration-trends-kentucky.pdf?dm=1574810036
Kentucky has the 2nd highest rate of kids with incarcerated parents in the nation.

Incarcerated parents are losing their children forever. Incarcerated parents, particularly moms, are significantly less likely to reunite with their children after release. Data shows that only 21% of children of incarcerated mothers are reunified, compared to 40% for all children in foster care.

Kentucky incarcerates women at one of the highest rates in the world, creating an outsized impact on Kentucky kids.

Kentucky's investment in community-based alternatives has already yielded better outcomes and saves the state money.

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