Whitley County approves House Bill 556 MOA to expand inmate education and continues pre-release workforce program

The Whitley County Fiscal Court approved a memorandum of agreement tied to House Bill 556 between Whitley County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky to allow the county to receive state reimbursement for certificates (for example GEDs) issued to incarcerated individuals.

Chair explained the MOA supports ongoing jail education and counseling programs that county jail staff have been working to expand. Jailer Jason Wilson and staff reported that state reimbursements for certificates have increased in recent months and that the program helped generate unexpected revenue that was folded into budget amendments. The court approved the MOA by roll call to continue the program through the next fiscal year.

Jason Wilson described pre-release meetings and a workforce development partnership with Aaron Corner, saying the program recently served groups of roughly 12 people and that participants are offered multiple supports designed to reduce recidivism. Chair referenced a statistic from a presentation—"78, 70 to 80 percent success rate"—describing workforce development programs in other areas and told the meeting, "you can't just throw them away" when discussing community reintegration.

The court recorded no opposition in the transcript and moved to approve the MOA so the county can continue receiving the state reimbursement for certificate issuance under House Bill 556.

Sources: Jailer Jason Wilson’s program remarks and the chair’s description of the MOA and budget effects as recorded in the meeting transcript. Ending: The MOA was approved and the county will continue to enroll and certify participants under HB556; program progress and reimbursement receipts should be tracked in upcoming fiscal reports.