By Chris Taylor
Paducah, KY – Paducah-area court and law enforcement officials say it's a bad idea for the state to release a thousand extra prisoners by the middle of next year. The opinions come in response to the General Assembly's budget bill which includes a mandate to Kentucky's Parole Board to release more prisoners. McCracken Circuit Judge Craig Clymer tells the Paducah Sun it's a serious mistake to release felons early to save money, saying it's ironic the state spends millions of dollars to build new justice centers just to ignore justice. McCracken Sheriff Jon Hayden says the state's recidivism rate indicates it's a bad idea. He says a large percentage of people arrested are repeat offenders. The budget bill is now before the Senate.