The Cost

Today, the average cost of housing an inmate here in Kentucky for a year is around $25,000. At 62 years old, I can definitely tell you, I cost more than that due to problems related to aging. This is hard on taxpayer money that should be going towards schools and different programs, that are going toward keeping a well rehabilitated, reformed, no threat to society person locked up well past what my sentence was 40+ years ago. There are other states that face the same outcomes from parole boards. They seem to only care about high profile cases, the poor, the gay, etc . For 40+ years, I have seen people that they’ve made decisions on- let go, that sometimes come back with more felonies. Anybody can make a change and I understand that. Good decision makers?  I don’t think the Ky Parole Board are. The state funds could better serve in our communities. Our communities need second-look laws because they need us. I could educate parents, I could steer young people away from mistakes I made, I could share a testimony that shows what real faith, true repentance, and reform could do in a life. I think our society should want that for our next generation. Not every long-term prisoner is ready or not proven they are ready for the privilege of a second chance or even lived a life that their testimony can make a difference.  Yet there were those of us waiting for that. Several states have answered the call, groups have called to take second-look laws seriously. In California, New York, Oklahoma, Washington, etc.- they’ve all adopted successful second-look law programs. Canada has their own (program) too and it’s a wonderful model that the state of Kentucky and other states could go by. I say thank you to all states who are moving in a progressive democratic manner putting actions to their faith and actions to their words.

Many families are also paying the price like mine are. Many young people are seeing that unforgiveness is our norm here in Kentucky. I have contributed to my community in here for a lot of years, but I’ve also helped people out there. I’ve shown that I could be helpful. The cost is financial, the cost is emotional, the cost is mental and the cost is even spiritual. Yet the real cost is that our state does not reflect values of redemption or second chances. They seem to be expensive slogans not actions. This is Karen sharing the cost.

Karen Brown M.Ed. has been incarcerated since February 1986. She is currently a correspondent for Prison Radio.org. Her commentary The Cost was posted to their podcast on 6/3/2026.