Attorney General Greg Stumbo has called for counties to be fully reimbursed for the cost of housing state prisoners.

"Across Kentucky, counties are being robbed of critical tax dollars spent on criminals," he said. "Counties must be fully reimbursed by the state."

Speaking at a Blue Ribbon Commission on Sentencing, Stumbo recommended expansion of the Rocket Docket Pilot Project, coordinated by his office, which is designed to speed criminal cases through the justice system.

"The Rocket Docket program will create great savings for the state, and this money should be passed directly to the counties so they don't suffer all the costs of imposing law and order," Stumbo said.

The Sentencing Commission, organized by Lt. Governor Steve Pence and Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, is proposing a reform of the state sentencing laws - particularly laws affecting persistent felons and drug offenders.

The Commission is examining the suggestions of University of Kentucky law professor Robert Lawson, who, in a 72-page report, recommends softening sanctions against drug offenders and lessening the number of offenders who are incarcerated.

Lawson suggests that the rate of incarceration and the economic costs of imprisoning the present number of state prisoners have become too burdensome to Kentuckians.

Attorney General Stumbo opposes rolling back sentences. "We cannot protect the public against crime if we release offenders from jail or reduce sentences for serious crime," Stumbo said. "Drug-related crime is one of the most destructive elements in modern society."

However, Stumbo says that taxpayer dollars can be saved by making reasonable changes to Kentucky's sentencing laws. He made the following proposal to the Commission:

Adopt risk-assessment scorecards for nonviolent offenders; judges could use the tool to assess which offenders should be eligible for diversionary programs.

Expand the Attorney General's Rocket Docket program, with resulting savings to be returned to the counties to defray the costs of incarcerating state offenders.

It is estimated that risk-assessment scorecards alone will affect roughly 1,000 potential inmates yearly at an annual savings of $17,300,000 per year. Savings from the Rocket Docket program will add to this total. The proposed changes are expected to be taken under consideration by the Commission.