(LEX 18) — The Family Preservation and Accountability Act is a solutions-focused policy that addresses the root causes of crime.
On Wednesday, lawmakers and supporters of the bill gathered in Frankfort for a press conference.
Jessica Ashby was one of several people who spoke in support of the bill.
"When I was 29, I had a partner, a job, a house and I had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl," said Ashby. "What should have been the happiest time of my life turned into a battle to save it."
After giving birth to her daughter, Ashby was prescribed narcotics, which then led to an addiction.
She was originally sentenced to a 12-month supervised diversion program, but after failing a drug test, she was thrown back into the incarceration cycle.
"Today I have been steadily employed for over five years," said Ashby. "I sponsor women and a 12-step program. I spend countless hours volunteering and I am currently working on my second college degree."
The Family Preservation and Accountability Act provides community-based alternatives to prison and/or jail to prioritize safety while keeping families together.
It's a solutions-focused policy that lawmakers say addresses the root causes of crime.
"Right now Kentucky has thousands of children in foster care and many of them because their parents were sentenced to a person for a low-level, non-violent offense," explained Senator Julie Raque Adams.
According to Kentucky Youth Advocates, more than 100,000 kids across the Commonwealth have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives.
Joey Comley with Right on Crime says the bill stands as a state-wide recognition that public safety is furthered when the integrity of the family is maintained.
"To me, it means I lived a life of purpose and resilience since January 2019, but that came at a huge cost, losing custody of my child," said Ashby.
