One bad decision can land you in jail; getting out and staying out after being released can be difficult. The Mason County Detention Center is working to change that through offender programs and educational opportunities designed to prevent recidivism and prepare inmates for successful reentry into society.
Appointed jailer for Mason County in April 2017 and later elected to the position, Lisa Yearly partnered with the Kentucky Department of Corrections to bring rehabilitative classes to the facility. These programs, originally offered in state prisons, have expanded to many local detention centers across the state. For many inmates, these programs offer both personal growth and a more tangible incentive: a reduced sentence upon completion.
“If they successfully complete the program, they get up to 90 days off their sentence, so it’s a motivator for some of the inmates,” Lisa said. “It helps them and changes them. They want those 90 days.”
Erica Earlywine, a former president of the Flemingsburg School Parent-Teacher Organization, is serving a 10-year sentence for unlawful taking (valued over $1,000) and four counts of solicitation to tamper with physical evidence. That sentence was probated for five years on the conditions that she serve 30 consecutive days in jail, pay $20,000 in restitution to the Fleming County schools and file an affidavit explaining her role in the thefts. Erica had no priors and began her jail sentence in July 2025.
Twice weekly, Erica attends anger management classes where inmates learn emotional control and thoughtful decision-making.
“I had to learn to take responsibility for what I did and go back through my life, recognizing things that had happened that may have influenced my actions,” Earlywine said. “Moral Reconation Therapy has completely changed the way I think. It has changed my life and taught me to be real and tell the truth.”
Between classes, Earlywine works in the kitchen, preparing three meals daily and often working until 8 p.m. before returning to her cell.
Not all inmates qualify for these programs. Recommendations are based on specific needs identified by the Kentucky Risk Assessment System. Mason County offers nine of the 14 educational programs available statewide such as Moral Reconation Therapy, Anger Management, Parenting and Substance Abuse Program among others.
The program’s ultimate goal is to prepare inmates to cope with life after release. Amber Mathis, serving time for a felony child support conviction, works in the kitchen and participates in the Master Gardener program, a self-funded project supported by commissary funds. It wasn’t her first incarceration. She had been in and out of jail since she was young.
“Every time I come here, I get stronger, I get better,” Mathis said. “This time, I’ve had time to improve with these classes and work programs.”
In anticipation of being released, Amber made a connection to join the Welcome House in Maysville. “They’ve done a lot of good things for a lot of people, and they want me to get involved,” she said. “I’m looking forward to that.”
She hoped to be released in December 2025.
According to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the programs are significantly impacting recidivism rates. As of 2025, statistics showed that over the previous two years, 70 percent of released inmates in the state had not returned to custody within 24 months.
Erica is determined not end up back in jail and is participating in as many programs as possible.
“It’s just opened my eyes to so much,” she said.
