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50 State Reports

Supervision Violation Data Snapshot

States across the country saw changes in their prison admissions and populations due to supervision violations in 2020. But some states were already experiencing reductions in violation admissions and population prior to the pandemic. This snapshot shows available supervision violation data for Kentucky from 2018 through 2020.

Admissions

From 2018 to 2020, Kentucky saw a 35 percent decline in the number of prison admissions due to supervision violations.

The breakdown

Total Admissions Violation Admissions Technical Violation Admissions
201820365118466280
201919693116655930
20201256877123806
Total 2018 2019 2020
Total admissions 20,365 19,693 12,568
Total Violation admissions 11,846 11,665 7,712
Probation admissions 5,368 5,540 3,740
Parole admissions 6,478 6,125 3,972
Total Technical Violation admissions 6,280 5,930 3,806
Probation admissions
Parole admissions 6,280 5,930 3,806
Total New Offense admissions 198 195 166
Probation admissions
Parole admissions 198 195 166
Population

Kentucky did not provide data for prison population due to supervision violations.

The breakdown

Total Population Violation Population Technical Violation Population
Total 2018 2019 2020
Total population
Total Violation population
Probation population
Parole population
Total Technical Violation population
Probation population
Parole population
Total New Offense population
Probation population
Parole population

Additional State Notes

For admissions, Kentucky did not provide technical probation and new offense probation violations data. The state also did not provide population data. Kentucky does not currently have the capacity to separate out technical violations and new offenses committed while on probation. In addition to other probation and parole sanctions options reported, some people may stay in reentry service centers (i.e., adult residential correctional facilities or halfway houses). Approximately half of the people serving prison sentences are housed in county jails. These jails are operated by the counties, but the state reimburses the county for the jail per diem.

Prison admissions due to supervision violations include short incarceration stays as supervision sanctions (1- to 180-day sanctions).


Whether an incarceration is the result of a new offense or technical violation is often difficult and problematic to delineate, even in states with available data. Most states do not consider a supervision violation to be the result of a new offense unless a new felony conviction is present, meaning technical violations may include misdemeanor convictions or new arrests. "Prison" includes county jail if the county was reimbursed by the state for a person’s incarceration, which occurs in some, but not all, states. Supervision violations may include revocations (i.e., unsuccessful terminations of a supervision and completion of a sentence in prison or jail) or short-term sanctions (i.e., probation or parole jurisdiction is maintained and the person is incarcerated for a short period of time in prison or jail). Not all states impose or include short-term sanctions in their count of supervision violations.