Louisville Courier Journal: Beshear floats idea of the state buying private prisons, closing Oldham reformatory
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Holly Harris, a former Republican Party of Kentucky official who now leads the national criminal justice reform group Justice Action Network, told The Courier Journal she was encouraged by Beshear's words but hopes he follows through on them.
“We’ve got a lot of sick people sitting in prisons just getting sicker, and some very powerful interests fighting to keep them there," Harris said. "Gov. Beshear’s desire to rid Kentucky of the for-profit interests in our justice system is a good thing, but I’m hopeful he will also reach across the aisle and work with legislative leaders toward a long-term plan to safely reduce incarceration and focus resources on treatment.
"Republicans and Democrats got us into this mess. It will take Republicans and Democrats to get us out of it.”