Recidivism Rates Drop In Kentucky

The percentage of felons who return to prison has reached a ten-year low in Kentucky, and the drop is likely due to new treatment and recovery programs.Department of Corrections spokesperson Lisa Lamb says the drop in the recidivism rate can't be specifically attributed to new initiatives aimed at helping felons re-enter society, avoid parole violations and break addictions, but those programs likely played a role."We know what we've been doing in the last few years, and we believe that we're starting to see a difference, see an impact on the actual population…which is down," she says.The new programs were largely federally-funded partnerships with existing services. Lamb says despite the shaky economy, she's confident the programs will continue.Kenucky's two and three year recidivism rates are both at ten-year lows.