New online higher education program with Ashland Community and Technical College focused on successful reentry, providing for Kentucky families 

FRANKFORT, KY - On Feb. 13, 2025, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that Kentucky has secured another low recidivism rate. Nearly 70% of people released from state custody over the past two years have not been re-incarcerated.  

Since 2022, out of nearly 13,000 individuals released from state custody, 8,930 have not returned. For those inmates, the current recidivism rate is 30.81%, which is 1.6% lower than the prior year. Kentucky defines recidivism as re-incarceration within 24 months of release from custody. In 2020, the state recorded the lowest rate ever at 27.15%.

“My faith teaches me that there are second chances in this life – and that we are all our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” said Gov. Beshear. “Our New Kentucky Home is a place where second chance opportunities are provided to those who have paid their debt to society so they can get back on their feet, find a good job and become a productive member of their community. I am proud of the work we are doing with partners across the commonwealth to increase public safety.”

To further reduce recidivism, Gov. Beshear also announced today that his administration is partnering with Ashland Community and Technical College to offer a new online Associate of Arts degree for inmates at Little Sandy Correctional Complex who have at least 12 months left to serve or to become eligible for parole.

The initial round will include 56 individuals. This educational opportunity qualifies inmates upon release for jobs with an average annual salary of roughly $37,000, or more than $17 per hour.  

As an approved Prison Education Program (PEP), the college will use federal Pell Grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to assist with transitioning justice-involved individuals out of prison and back into the classroom or the workforce at no cost to Kentucky taxpayers.  

“We are laser focused on ensuring that when individuals leave state custody, they are equipped to become successful, law-abiding citizens in their communities by participating in addiction treatment programs, educational programs, by obtaining a good job and accessing community and state resources,” Department of Corrections Commissioner Cookie Crews said. “When individuals who have paid their debt to society succeed outside of prison, Kentucky succeeds. We have a talented reentry team dedicated to this mission, and we are working every day to expand partnerships.” 

Corrections currently offers adult basic education and GED classes for inmates at all 14 prisons, as well as career and technical education courses. 

Building off work the administration is already doing with businesses and state agencies to build access to an untapped talent pool, the Governor also announced that each of Kentucky’s 14 state prisons have established its own reentry center. The centers operate inside the prisons and deliver focused life-skills training designed to prepare inmates for success upon release.

“Thousands of people will be released from prison every year, and by investing in their success, our children are safer, our communities are stronger and taxpayers’ money is saved,” Gov. Beshear said. “Kentucky is a place where people can realize their hopes and dreams and we are working to ensure that is true for every one of our citizens.” 

With the leadership of the Beshear-Coleman administration, Kentucky’s?economy is booming. To assist the justice-involved population with finding meaningful employment, addiction treatment and education, the administration has taken several important steps, including:

• On Oct. 17, the Governor signed an executive order?establishing the Governor’s Council of Second Chance Employers, comprised of 15 business and community leaders, including leaders from Amazon, BlueOval SK, UPS, DV8 Kitchen and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, along with the secretaries of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Education and Labor Cabinet. Click here to view the news conference. 

• To enable reentering inmates to compete in Kentucky’s fast-paced labor market, the Governor also announced that his administration is expanding career and technical opportunities throughout the prison system. The first prison to launch a new professional licensure program is the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women, which is working to establish a licensed cosmetology school. This will be the first time in Kentucky that a prison has operated a cosmetology school.?? 

• In April, Gov. Beshear announced a?new website?to help Kentuckians seeking second chances find a job, get an education or continue recovery. The site also connects business leaders with resources to help them hire second-chance talent. 

• In 2023, the Governor was joined by members of the Kentucky State Building and Construction Trades Council to launch the?Jobs on Day One initiative, which aims to provide inmates with employable skills when they leave incarceration. This new initiative helps former inmates become strong candidates for Kentucky’s fast-paced labor market through the development of job skills while providing educational opportunities and treatment services. Employers interested in participating in Jobs on Day One,?click here. 

• The?Kentucky Transformational Employment Program?has trained more than 4,000 business leaders across the commonwealth as second-chance employers for individuals recently released from prison or in recovery from addiction. 

• In June 2024, the Beshear-Coleman administration announced that overdose deaths in the commonwealth had decreased for the second year in a row, with 2023 seeing a 9.8% decrease compared with the previous year. In 2023, the state supported the distribution of more than 160,000 doses of Narcan. The state’s?Treatment Access Program?also allows those without health insurance to enter residential treatment, and the?Recovery Ready certification?helps communities support residents who are seeking help for drug or alcohol addiction. 

• On his third day in office, Gov. Beshear restored voting rights to Kentuckians who had completed their sentences for nonviolent, nonsexual offenses. Now nearly 195,923 Kentuckians’ rights have been restored.?