Kentucky's outdated "tough-on-crime" laws have broken families and fueled mass incarceration, putting nearly 1 out of every 100 Kentuckians behind bars.
ACLU-KY's Marcus Jackson and his family were harmed by Kentucky's persistent felony offender law. Now he's working in Frankfort fighting these harmful policies and working towards a future where families have the support they actually need.
WHAT:
Virtual screening of 3 mini-documentaries produced by Independent Lens/PBS and Louisville Courier-Journal:
- Persistent: A Challenge to Kentucky's PFO Law
- The Weight of the State
- Understanding Kentucky's PFO: The Persistent Felony Offender Law
The screening will be followed with a Q&A with Marcus, the film crew, journalists, and other experts.
PANEL:
- Jonathan Bullington, Moderator, Investigative Reporter, Louisville Courier-Journal
- Marcus Jackson, film participant and Organizing Coordinator, ACLU of Kentucky
- Marlon Johnson, Director and Producer
- Matt Mencarini, Investigative Reporter, Louisville Courier-Journal
- Evan Mascagni, Director and Producer
- Ellen Sloan, Aunt of an Incarcerated Loved One
- Monica E. Unseld, Ph.D, MPH, Founder, Until Justice Data Partners
WHAT IS THE PERSISTENT FELONY OFFENDER LAW:
Kentucky’s Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) law tips the scales of justice against the people.
Robert G. Lawson, the original drafter of Kentucky’s penal code and University of Kentucky College of Law professor, says laws like this are "one of the worst excesses of Kentucky's tough-on-crime movement" and that the PFO law "clearly heads the list of tough-on-crime measures that have filled prisons beyond capacity."
The PFO law empowers prosecutors to enhance a sentence – or threaten to enhance a sentence – if the accused person has been convicted of any felony offense and has completed their sentence within the past five years or is on probation or parole.
Unfair sentencing:
PFO laws give prosecutors immense power to leverage plea agreements that are unfavorable to the accused and overly harsh in response to the alleged offense.
Bypassing the jury:
PFO laws deprive the jury and community of their function to determine guilt and appropriate sentencing.
Fueling mass incarceration:
PFO laws increase the number of incarcerated people which separates Kentucky families, forces people to live and work in dangerous conditions, and wastes limited tax dollars.
Ignoring the real issues:
The mandatory minimums in PFO laws do not provide an opportunity to meet an individual’s needs, such as accessing treatment for mental illness or substance use disorder, to truly rehabilitate people and make Kentucky communities safer, stronger, and healthier.
