"The Moral Side of the News" is streamed live on Sunday evenings at 9:30pm EST at WHAS Radio. Here are the topics for the upcoming broadcast:
TOPIC 1: Kentucky prisons free nearly 1,000 inmates early
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) - Kentucky prisons are a little less crowded tonight, after almost 1,000 inmates were released statewide Tuesday. It is all in an effort to save money.
Kentucky House Bill 463 mandated the prisoners’ release in an effort to save the Commonwealth $400 million over the next ten years.
But some people think that freeing so many prisoners will not come without serious costs to society.
Dozens of buses left prisons statewide this morning, headed for the Louisville Greyhound Bus Terminal. Each was loaded with prisoners who were released in mass at least six months early.
Decarlo Robeson was one of more than 150 prisoners originally convicted in Jefferson county who returned to the bus station today.
“I think it's just a blessing. I get to see my family,” Robeson said. “I didn't get to make New Years or Christmas, but I'm happy. I’m blessed to be free.”
The release of 939 state prisoners six months early will save Kentucky at least $10 million dollars since each inmate costs the state more than $60 a day to incarcerate.
Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney David Stengel says spending money on prisons is the best investment Kentucky can make.
“Incarceration, oddly enough, does work, but we just apparently can't afford it,” Stengel said.
Stengel says that there are already alternative sentencing programs and other options aimed at keeping all but the worst criminals out of prison.
“By the time they end up inside a hard cell, they've earned it. Now to see them coming out even six months early bothers me. It bothers all the prosecutors. It bothers the public, I'm sure,” Stengel said.
“I'm a repeat offender because every time I get out, I ain't got nothing to go to except my family, who's got burdens of their own, you know. They ain't got nothing for you once you get out,” said an inmate who did not want to be named.
The inmates released Tuesday, some who have been behind bars a decade or more, enter a job market already with few openings.
They also all have felony records, making it even more difficult to find employment. That is why agencies like the Healing Place and Goodwill Industries are stepping in to help out.
“We can't do nothing about them being released. They've already been released. So we need to assist them finding work,” Kim Colbert of Goodwill Industries.
The inmates released who were convicted in Jefferson County included robbers, kidnappers and sex offenders.
Officials say many of those convicted of lesser crimes and are eligible for release have already been paroled in an effort to ease overcrowding.
WATCH STORY: http://www.whas11.com/home/1000-inmates-to-be-released-early-136575878.html
QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the state releasing inmates to save money?
WE WILL ALSO MENTION THE FOLLOWING STORY: Gatewood Galbraith dead at 64
(WHAS11) -- Gatewood Galbraith, a "perennial candidate because Kentucky has perennial problems" has died, his 2011 running mate disclosed on Wednesday.
"Dear Friends I have just been notified that Gatewood passed away last night," Dea Riley posted on her Facebook page, "I am heading to Lexington to be with his family. Please say a prayer for his family and friends and all those who loved him."
Friends of Galbraith also confirmed his death.
A Lexington trial attorney, Galbraith's nine unsuccessful attempts at statewide office from 1983 to 2011 garnered much attention for his bold statements and views, particularly on the legalization of marijuana.
Galbraith also sought more investment in Kentucky education, responsible mining policies and an end to a "good old boy" system in Frankfort.
He complained that Kentucky’s systems were dysfunctional.
As a Reform Party candidate, Galbraith received 15.9 % of the vote in the 1999 gubernatorial election. He also ran for agriculture commissioner, attorney general and for Congress. Galbraith received 8.9 percent of the vote in the 2011 gubernatorial election.
Galbraith was 64-years-old. He was divorced and is survived by three grown daughters.
http://www.whas11.com/community/blogs/political-blog/Gatewood-Galbraith-dead-136659733.html
TOPIC 2: Iowa Caucus Results: Romney Edges Santorum by 8 Votes
Mitt Romney won the first presidential preference contest of 2012 by a mere eight votes Tuesday, narrowly edging out a surging Rick Santorum in the Iowa Caucuses.
The two men -- neither of whom was expected as recently as a month ago to win -- ran neck and neck and finished in a virtual tie. The second place finish capped a remarkable rise in popularity for Santorum, who had focused his entire campaign and shoestring budget on Iowa.
Romney finished second in Iowa in 2008, but had focused his 2012 campaign on other early primary and caucus states. In this cycle he received exactly six votes less than he did in 2008.
In third place was Rep. Ron Paul, the Libertarian leaning Texan on his third and most inspired run for the presidency.
Read analysis of the Iowa results and whether Santorum can carry his momentum to other states.
There were some reporting irregularities from local party committees that dragged the election outcome into the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Both candidates gave speeches earlier in the night that sounded victorious. ABC News projected that 123,000 people voted in the Iowa contest, the largest turnout for a Republican caucus. Romney got 30,015 votes and Santorum received 30,007.
Santorum was boosted by evangelical Christians, an influential group in the state, and voters who made their decision in just the last few days. A Des Moines Register poll Saturday found that as many as four in 10 Republican voters in Iowa were still undecided.
CONTINUE READING: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/iowa-caucus-results-mitt-romney-defeats-rick-santorum-8-votes/story?id=15283406
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QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the Iowa Caucus results and the latest developments in the GOP race?
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