Social Worker Pilot Project
 | Jails and prisons in Kentucky (as in other states) are overcrowded. One reason for the overcrowding is the high recidivism rate of offenders. In 2006 the Kentucky General Assembly funded the Social Worker Pilot Project to study the causes of this overcrowding and whether or not utilizing social workers in public defenders offices could help this situation. The social workers were placed in four offices throughout the state to evaluate offenders for issues such as substance abuse and mental health needs, both of which might lead to reincarceration. Initial conclusions indicate the project was a success, both saving money for the counties involved and reducing the recidivism rates among offenders. Join us on Friday when we talk about the project and its implications for the state as a whole. |
Listen to the ShowGuests:
Rod Barber, UofL, Kent School of Social Work
Ernie Lewis, Director, Department of Public Advocacy
Rachel Pate, MSW