Kentucky senator wants bipartisan group to probe ‘crisis’ in Department of Juvenile Justice
Following a spate of riots and assaults at Kentucky’s Department of Juvenile Justice facilities, a Kentucky senator is proposing a working group to determine where the embattled agency should go from here.
Senate Pro Tem David Givens, R-Greensburg, introduced a resolution Thursday that would bring together a group of lawmakers to quickly determine possible policy and reforms to the “crisis” within the department.
Among the larger considerations: Does the state need to operate a detention facility for youth in Louisville? And should the DJJ be placed within the Department of Corrections?
Givens’ resolution outlines a number of problems in DJJ facilities, which have been previously reported by the news media, including widespread damage to the facility in Warren County, a sexual assault on a girl in state custody in Adair County and the closure of a Louisville-area facility due to a plethora of issues.
The resolution also reveals that then-Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court, John D. Minton, Jr., sent a letter to Gov. Andy Beshear on Nov. 30 expressing his concerns.
“The recent violent incidents at the centers in Adair and Warren counties point to systemic failures that are inflicting further damage on an already vulnerable population of detained youth,” he wrote.
Minton acknowledged the role of judges who favor incarceration for low-level juvenile offenders, but “emphatically stated ‘the consistent inability to protect the safety of youth and staff in our juvenile detention centers falls squarely on the shoulders of the Department of Juvenile Justice.’”
Beshear, a Democrat seeking re-election this fall, has announced several charges to the department, including segregating boys by the seriousness of their offenses and creating a girls-only facility.
If passed, Givens’ resolution would include four senators and four representatives, including one Democrat from each Republican-controlled chamber. Each chamber can also send up to four non-voting members.
The group’s report is due to the Legislative Research Commission by Feb. 7, when the legislature resumes for its second part of the session.
The group would look at the staffing and structure of the department, understand the “operational breakdown ... that has resulted in a life-threatening work and corrections environment,” ensure a safe working environment and assign oversight to a legislative committee.
The resolution will get a vote in the Senate on Friday.
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 4:49 PM.
