Advocacy Blogs

Karen Brown the Credible Messenger: Sharing powerful stories of transformation and impact through weekly commentaries on PrisonRadio.org. Experience is the strongest teacher. For more than four decades, Karen Brown has lived with the consequences of one tragic decision made as a young adult. She entered prison at just 21 years old. Today, after 40+ years of incarceration, the question facing Kentucky is no longer who Karen Brown was in 1986-but who she has become. Clemency ex

A recent report by The Sentencing Project, Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme Sentencing, raises important questions about how states continue to impose extraordinarily long prison terms on people whose level of culpability varies widely. One detail in the report immediately caught my attention: it notes that Hawaii and Kentucky do not have felony murder laws. Legally, that statement is correct. Kentucky abolished the traditional felony murder rule decades ago. But law on

By every measure, Karen Brown looked like someone with a bright future. She was an engaged student. She excelled in athletics. She grew up in Hustonville, a small Kentucky community where teachers, classmates, and neighbors knew her as a hardworking young woman. She had no criminal record and was known for her achievements in school and sports. A serious athletic injury later disrupted her college plans, and after leaving school she found herself in a different environment. Y

Karen Brown has spent over four decades behind bars, a victim of a justice system that criminalized her identity rather than sought the truth. Her story reveals how prejudice against LGBTQ people in the 1980s led to a conviction that still haunts her today. As we remember the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising today, June 28th, Pride Month shines a light on LGBTQ rights and history, Karen’s case reminds us how far we must go to ensure justice and equality for all. Karen Br

Karen Brown has spent over 40 years behind bars in Kentucky, a fact that demands serious reflection. Her case has drawn attention not only because of the length of her incarceration but also due to the growing bipartisan support for her clemency. This support crosses political lines, emphasizing that this issue is not about political gain but about justice, fairness, and humanity. Kentucky stands at a crossroads where it can choose to do what is right—not just for Karen Brown

One in six incarcerated persons in Ky are serving a life sentence, 44% of those persons are over the age of 55. Kentucky incarcerates a higher percentage of people than any independent democratic country. The Kentucky Parole Board holds significant power over the lives of incarcerated individuals, yet its decisions often raise questions about fairness and consistency. Recent cases highlight troubling disparities in how parole is granted or denied, even when the facts and circ

Karen Brown currently incarcerated at KCIW in Pewee Valley, Ky, pictured here at her arraignment in 1986 versus today over 40 yrs later as a classic example of where draconian sentencing practices are costing Kentuckians. Kentucky faces a pressing challenge: its prisons are aging, overcrowded, and filled with people who no longer pose a threat to public safety. Many incarcerated individuals were sentenced decades ago to life with the possibility of parole, yet the system has

A visual representation of the journey from equality to justice, illustrating how providing fair chances and second chances can lead to meaningful change and equitable outcomes for all. Introduced by Prison Fellowship, in 2017, April has come to be known as Second Chance Month. As of 2026, there are now 35 states that recognize April as Second Chance Month. Currently more than 1,100 organizations, churches, and businesses have joined in the support of brighter futures for peo

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day and as someone pointed out, what about the women we don’t see or hear about? What about the women who have been locked away for decades now and decades to come? How are we celebrating them? As a statistic? Today, while collectively the U.S. accounts for 4% of the world’s women, it is holding 25% of the women incarcerated on a worldwide scale. According to the most recent report released by The Sentencing Project, the female incarce

On February 8th, I will be incarcerated 40 years. I grew up from age 21 to soon becoming 62. The #40 has been weighing heavy for many reasons. First because I know I can’t undo the past no matter how long I am here. Unlike many speeches I hear on faith and second chances, my faith helps me put the 40 in perspective today. …it rained upon the earth for 40 days and nights before the rainbow was given. …the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years for what would have t

As it is certainly no secret, many folks know I have been acquainted with Karen Brown since prior to her incarceration. Karen was re-sentenced by the Ky Parole Board to 'serve-out' and die in prison. I had also followed her story and progress as best I could over the decades. I had last been around Karen as a free woman (or rather emerging adult) about a week before the night of Feb. 3, 1986. A night that tragically altered the lives for many. I went to the trial, saw the med

Based on the series of books that came out in the early 90’s and what the title implies, this article will attempt to give an overview on the issues and controversies surrounding the effectiveness or lack thereof within the current Kentucky Parole Board system. The costs are not only for families & friends of those incarcerated but to all the folks who call the Commonwealth of Kentucky home. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, a non-profit group with cutting edge resea

Karen Brown given a Life Sentence With the Possibility of Parole in 1986. The Kentucky Parole Board re-sentenced her to Death (by incarceration) in 2021, despite an impeccable institutional record, completion of over 100 programs, volunteer work, seven advanced degrees funded by supporters, numerous letters of support, leading the prison music ministry and worship for decades now. February 17, 2025 A VOICE LOCKED AWAY FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS #KyFreeKarenBrown I met Karen Brown 40

November 6, 2024 As the pendulum swings back from the peak of Mass Incarceration, we as a country have finally begun to take action to right some of the wrongs that have incurred. We don’t have to look far to hear about folks convicted on ‘junk science’, those who are overly sentenced, wrongfully convicted and even lethally injected in the name of justice. More recently in the news fueled by the attention of Kim Kardashian has been the case of the Menendez brothers. I have se

July 6, 2025 Before there was the gavel-to-gavel coverage of Court TV on July 1, 1991, there was minimal transparency or real understanding of the legal process by the average person. This innovation gave us access to the legal system by bringing drama & intricacies into our living rooms. We ushered in an era that altered the public perception of our legal system while introducing a new era of transparency and arguably entertainment. With this we learned more of the Menendez