Kentucky.

US Senator Rand Paul is voicing his support for proposed legislation that would have violent offenders in Kentucky spending more time behind bars.

State Representative Jennifer Decker, a Republican from Ward, proposed the legislation that would amend the state's current violent offender statute.

It would require all violent offenders serve 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole or probation under current law.

Some felony offenders are only required to serve 20% of their sentence, even if the crime resulted in death or serious injury.

In recorded testimony played during the meeting today, Senator Paul told state lawmakers.

One of the main reasons he supports the legislation is it gives offenders a better chance at rehabilitation.

Justice demands more than our current laws provide.

Our responsibility to the people of Kentucky is to protect them from those who would do them harm.

Our current statutes do not adequately punish incomplete violent crimes.

Innocent people are put at risk by quickly releasing violent offenders back into society.

Please don't misunderstand me.

I do not want to disincentivize prisoners from participating in rehabilitative programs that might earn them good time credits.

We must accept the reality that most offenders will eventually be released from prison, and we should do everything possible to ensure that these individuals are rehabilitated so that they're able to live independently without posing a threat to their communities.

But the law, as currently written, fails to do just that.

It treats conduct that could just as easily has resulted in loss of life or seriously bodily serious bodily harm as though it were a misdemeanor.

Kentucky law all but assures that individuals will quickly reenter society without the opportunity to rehabilitate them.

Also speaking in favor of the legislation, the family of a woman killed in an impaired driving crash.

The drunk driver pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years.

Her family said the light sentence he received only adds to their pain.

Kevin's case is considered essential, a nonviolent crime.

And every year we are forced to dispute his eligibility for parole.

Despite the agony he has caused our family, if you can imagine the person you love most, how would you feel knowing their offense is treated in the same manner as someone forging checks or stealing license plates?

You recover from forged checks.

You can purchase a new license plate.

However, a sibling mother and father, a family as a whole never recovers from death due to intentional negligence.

The proposed legislation also adds to the list of violent felony offenses strangulation, arson, robbery in the first and second degree, and burglary and the first and second degree.

If the victim is present.