DOJ holds town hall meeting ahead of investigation into Kentucky Juvenile Justice Department | News from WDRB

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — U.S. Department of Justice officials answered questions from citizens Monday evening as they prepare to begin their investigation into Kentucky’s juvenile justice system.

In mid-May, the US Department of Justice launched a nationwide civil investigation into conditions in eight juvenile detention centers and a youth development center in Kentucky. The investigation began with allegations of institutional abuse and mistreatment of children.

Some of these facilities are located in Jefferson and Fayette counties. This includes the Adair Youth Development Center, where a riot broke out in 2022, injuring youth and staff. Order was restored after state police and other law enforcement officers entered the facility. In another incident, some youth kicked and punched staff in an attack at another center.

Lawmakers in Frankfort have been addressing reports of assaults, overcrowding and staff shortages as Kentucky’s state juvenile court struggles to accommodate a growing number of youths accused of violent crimes.

Ministry officials said that in recent years more of the children held in these centers have faced charges of capital crimes such as rape and murder.

Governor Andy Beshear responded with a series of policy changes to curb the violence. Among other things, he announced that male juveniles would be assigned to detention centers based on the severity of their crimes and that “defensive equipment” – pepper spray and tasers – was made available for the first time so that detention center staff could defend themselves and others in the event of an attack.

As problems grew, state lawmakers responded by allocating funds to increase the salaries of juvenile justice employees, hire more correctional officers for the Division of Juvenile Justice, improve security in detention centers, and expand diversion and treatment services for incarcerated youth.

In a Zoom meeting Monday evening, the Justice Department outlined some of the potential violations it will investigate, such as the possibility of detaining children in mental health crises.

One question from the public was whether the Justice Department would make surprise visits to the state’s juvenile detention centers, but officials said they generally conduct their visits as scheduled.

The Justice Department said investigations like this typically take a year or more. If the investigation uncovers systematic violations of the children’s constitutional rights, the Justice Department will work with the state to correct the problems.

Reporting on juvenile justice in Kentucky:

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