On November 6, members of the Beshear-Coleman administration joined Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) President Ryan Quarles presented to the General Assembly a vision for a specialized prison education and reentry campus. This will be the first of its kind in the nation and will make Kentucky a national model.
The proposal seeks funding to establish a reentry education campus at Northpoint Training Center, serving up to 400 inmates with targeted vocational and technical programs provided through KCTCS. The initiative would also include intensive reentry services to help participants secure employment after release.
The program would be selective, requiring inmates from any of Kentucky’s 14 state prisons to apply and meet eligibility standards, including maintaining good behavior and continued progress if accepted.
Once enrolled, participants would become KCTCS students and receive training in high-demand fields that support Kentucky’s growing workforce needs.
“My faith teaches me the importance of second chances, and this joint, bipartisan initiative is one that improves second chance opportunities, boosts public safety, and helps us fill vital positions across our economy,” Gov. Beshear in a press conference. “This public safety and workforce development initiative will continue making a safer New Kentucky Home that works for all its people and keeps our homes, communities, churches and workplaces safe.”
Under Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration, Kentucky has seen historically low recidivism rates, with nearly 70% of individuals released from state custody in the past two years not returning to prison. Nearly 95% of people currently incarcerated in state facilities will eventually return to their communities after completing their sentences.
The governor has emphasized that when people leave custody with the skills and support needed to work, support their families and contribute to society, they are less likely to reoffend. Reducing recidivism, he said, also helps break generational cycles of crime and lowers the number of Kentuckians who may become victims.
