The Department of Corrections announced the emergency regulation in a news release on Wednesday. The release said the regulation will only affect those inmates who have already been reviewed by Kentucky's independent Parole Board as part of the normal discharge process.
The release said the state inmate population has grown 6.9 percent in the past year, raising safety concerns. Several county governments are expanding their jails, which is expected to create an additional 1,706 beds over the next three years.
Madison County officials have proposed building a drug rehab center instead of a new jail. The Madison County Detention Center is designed to hold 184 people but has 400 inmates.
