Amber was put in jail at 17 in 2007,  convicted in 2008 just when the war on crime was at its peak.  It's been told to me more than once, that a Juvenile Transfer Case in Amber's case would not have happened  had she went thru, say, Jefferson County or under today's legislative actions of HB 463 .  A more appropriate punishment would've involved a diversion program.   

 

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At year-end 2007, 1 of every 92 adults in Kentucky was incarcerated, compared with 1 of every 100 adults nationally. This high rate of prison expansion was not due to an increase in crime.

Kentucky sentenced offenders to prison as opposed to probation or other alternative sentences at a much higher rate than most other states. In 2009, district and circuit courts sentenced 57 percent of all convicted felony offenders to prison, which was higher than other jurisdictions, compared to 41% nationally.

(JusticeReinvestment HB463)  

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If each U.S. state were its own country, Kentucky would have the seventh-highest incarceration rate in the world, according to a recent analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative.

The report found that the U.S. incarcerates “716 people for every 100,000 residents, more than any other country.” Kentucky was above the national average, with a rate of 948 people per 100,000 residents.

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