PRESS RELEASE: Kentucky Governor Signs Family Preservation and Accountability Act into Law
This bipartisan legislation will keep families together, address the root causes of crime, reduce foster care placements, and strengthen communities.
Frankfort, KY. — Dream.Org today celebrated the signing of the Family Preservation and Accountability Act (SB 122) by the Governor of Kentucky. Sponsored by Republican lawmakers and backed by a broad coalition of advocates, the Family Preservation and Accountability Act prioritizes community-based alternatives for parents convicted of low-level drug and property offenses. These alternative resources include therapy, case management, recovery services, and job training.
The legislation passed the General Assembly with near-unanimous, bipartisan support and represents a major victory for families, children, and communities across the Commonwealth. Rather than defaulting to incarceration, more families will be able to stay intact while still holding individuals accountable, all while addressing the root causes of crime and breaking intergenerational cycles of incarceration.
“Dream.Org has proudly worked as part of a broad coalition over the past two years to support the Family Preservation and Accountability Act in Kentucky, partnering with advocates and lawmakers to advance this critical policy,” said Amanda Hall, Senior Director of National Campaigns at Dream.Org.
Kentucky has the second-highest rate of children with incarcerated parents in the nation. Parental incarceration is recognized as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), and research links it to long-term emotional, physical, and financial hardship for children.
“As someone who has been through the system and experienced being separated from my children when what I truly needed was help, this issue is deeply personal. We're ecstatic that SB 122 will become law — helping preserve parent-child relationships, reduce adverse childhood experiences, lower foster care placements, and build safer, stronger communities."
The signing of SB 122 reflects Dream.Org's commitment to advancing smart justice reform through bipartisan coalition-building and it demonstrates that protecting families is a common ground value across political lines.
ABOUT DREAM.ORG
At Dream.Org, we dream of a world beyond mass incarceration. We build communities with fewer prisons, safer neighborhoods, and transformed lives. We bring people together across racial, social, and partisan lines to create a future with freedom, dignity and opportunity for all.
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