Whatever happened to the Richmond recovery center where state removed residents?
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A Richmond treatment center for substance use disorder is once again accepting clients from the Kentucky Department of Corrections, after the facility submitted plans for correcting problems previously identified by the state.
Last winter, the state removed 46 women under its care from Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women after numerous complaints of mistreatment at the facility.
So, what has happened since then?
In early June, the Corrections Department began placing clients in the facility again, according to a letter from the department’s Division of Addiction Services that was obtained through an open records request.
As of Dec. 3, Liberty Place was serving 41 female residents who had been placed there by the Corrections Department, according to Morgan Hall, communications director for the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
“The facility is adhering to its corrective action plan with no noted issues at this time,” Hall wrote in an email.
Liberty Place is one of the “halfway houses” or Reentry Service Centers, the state contracts with to provide housing and programming for inmates transitioning out of incarceration, according to the Corrections Department’s website.
The facility, on Lake Street in Richmond, is part of the state’s Recovery Kentucky initiative. It describes itself as “a long-term recovery program dedicated to providing essential support and hope for women recovering from substance use disorders,” according to its website.
The facility has 100 beds, 60 of which are designated for residents sent by the Corrections Department, according to documents obtained through the Open Records Act.
A representative of Liberty Place declined to be interviewed for this story.
The Corrections Department’s decision to begin placing inmates at Liberty Place again came after the facility worked with the state to develop a plan for correcting problems, documents show.
An unannounced inspection of the facility on Sept. 24 found only one issue: two rooms were missing night lights.
But earlier in the year, the state made the decision to temporarily stop sending clients there after several complaints.
An open records request for complaints against the other Recovery Kentucky contractors for 2023, 2024 and part of 2025 revealed that more complaints had been received about Liberty Place than any of the other facilities with which the state has contracts.
On Feb. 6, the state conducted an unannounced visit to the facility in response to a complaint and noted multiple concerns, records show.
“During the visit, staff spoke with multiple clients who expressed concerns about the medical care that they received, specifically medications being confiscated or clients being denied medications prescribed by their medical provider,” the records state.
Clients who were physically unable to “trudge” or walk to outside AA meetings, complained that the facility did not make accommodations for them.
There were concerns about residents being served expired food.
And, the records state, concerns were raised about the culture of the facility and how staff interacted with residents.
“Clients reported that staff spoke to them in a demeaning manner, attempted to ‘tear them down to build them back up,’ and often referred to them as trash,” a Feb. 26 document sent to the facility states.
“Clients reported that they felt like they had to just keep their head down and try to move through the program because staff were known to try to push their time in the program back so that it takes them longer to complete. They reported that they felt like they did not have access to call their probation and parole officer, medical providers, or DOC because staff or peer mentors would listen to their calls and report what they talked about.
“Contract Management staff also observed interactions between staff and residents while at the facility. Staff and clients did not speak in passing and there was minimal interaction between them.”
Because of the “on-site review and further investigation,” the state removed the women it had placed there and notified Liberty Place Feb. 26 it was being put “on long-term corrective action status,” according to the records.
The state said in the document it planned to monitor Liberty Place “through on-site visits and documentation reviews from the Contract Management Branch,” and it said Liberty Place would be expected to submit monthly updates showing “actions taken and progress in each of the noted areas, including addiction services.”
As part of its plan to correct deficiencies, Liberty Place agreed to provide additional training to its staff and put new protocols for documentation in place.
Two staff members were placed on administrative leave during an internal investigation, the records show. The facility wrote that if they returned to Liberty Place, they would be placed on a 90-day “work improvement plan.”
In an April letter, the facility’s director wrote to the department: “We continue to operate in accordance with the long-established and Department-approved Recovery Kentucky model, which remains consistently implemented across all other Recovery Kentucky centers.
“Despite this, referrals to Liberty Place continue to be withheld based on concerns that appear to be newly raised and not previously communicated. We kindly request clarification on this matter, as our program remains fully aligned with the guidance, expectations, and quality assurance standards set forth by the Department — as consistently reflected in past Quality Assurance Reviews and Inspections.
“We remain committed to upholding the standards of our DOC contract, ensuring transparency, and providing informed consent to all potential and current residents.”
