Rep. Michael Meredith told county judge/executives Thursday that House Bill 557 is designed to “rebalance the relationship between the state and local communities” when it comes to corrections, calling the proposal the most comprehensive jail reform effort Kentucky has seen in years.
Speaking at the Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association Winter Conference, Meredith said counties are facing an unsustainable financial burden as jail costs continue to rise while state reimbursement has failed to keep pace. He noted that many jails were originally built with the expectation that housing state inmates would help support local budgets, but that model has eroded over time.
“Once upon a time, housing state inmates was a good thing for counties,” Meredith said. “It’s become a detriment at this point, so we have tried to address this in as much of a comprehensive way as possible.”
Meredith, who previously co-chaired the 2020 Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force, said HB 557 grew out of months of collaboration with KACo and county leaders and is intended to modernize how the state reimburses counties for housing state inmates.
At the core of the proposal is a shift from the current state per diem payment model to a contract-based system that would pay counties and regional jail authorities the actual cost of housing state inmates. The bill also would make the state responsible for major medical costs and maintenance medications for state inmates, while requiring counties to provide programming such as substance abuse treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, reentry services and GED programs.
Another key provision addresses “credit for time served,” which Meredith called the most important part of the bill. Under current law, counties often house felony defendants for months or even years before sentencing yet receive no reimbursement when that time is credited toward a state sentence. HB 557 would require the state to reimburse counties for those costs.
“There’s nothing more fair than that,” Meredith said. “You all have been paying for a benefit the state has been getting.”
The bill also includes incentives for regionalization, offering $1 million grants to counties that form or join a regional jail authority, along with $500,000 incentives for existing member counties that accept new partners. Meredith said regional models can help smaller counties achieve economies of scale, though participation would remain voluntary.
County officials at the conference shared how jail costs have affected their communities. Whitley County Judge/Executive Pat White said jail expenses have prevented investments in staff, equipment and roads, while Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said his county now spends about $6 million a year on jail operations.
“If this [proposal] doesn’t go through, I don’t know how we can continue to do this,” Taul said.
Meredith cautioned that the bill will be a “heavy lift” and may change as it moves through the legislative process but urged county leaders to stay engaged.
“It’s going to take a strong amount of advocacy on all your behalf,” he said. “Whether you be a magistrate, whether you be a judge, you're going to have to reach out to your representative, you're going to have to reach out to your senator, and you're going to have to push them on this bill and this issue as a whole.”
