BURLINGTON, Ky. — For years it lodged all of northern Kentucky’s juvenile detainees, but now law enforcement officials say the Campbell County Regional Juvenile Detention Center isn’t lodging anyone. They say that’s a major problem and are calling for it to change.

What You Need To Know

  • Police chiefs and sheriffs from around northern Kentucky want the Campbell County Regional Juvenile Detention Center back open

  • At the start of this year, Kentucky’s Department of Juvenile Justice started sending male detainees in the region three hours away to Boyd County

  • Now, males are being sent to Breathitt County. Females are still being processed in Campbell County, but then sent to Boyd County

  • The DJJ says the changes were made because of critical staffing challenges at the Campbell County Center that threatened the safety of detainees and the staff

Police chiefs and sheriffs from around northern Kentucky stood together to deliver the message. “Strength in numbers” is how Major Phillip Ridgell, from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, described it.

“We believe in getting the Campbell County Regional Juvenile Detention Center fully operational and open again,” Ridgell said.

The Campbell County center is where all juvenile offenders in northern Kentucky, both male and female, used to be sent. At the start of this year, though, Kentucky’s Department of Juvenile Justice started sending male detainees to Boyd County.

Now, males are being sent to Breathitt County. Females are still being processed in Campbell County, but then sent to Boyd County.

“What used to be a 20, 25 minute drive from Burlington to Campbell County is now a three-hour drive,” Ridgell said. “This year, so far, we have accumulated more than 4,000 miles between trips to and from Boyd or Breathitt County.”

The DJJ says the changes were made because of critical staffing challenges at the Campbell County Center that threatened the safety of detainees and the staff. Kentucky Senator John Schickel said he doesn’t think that’s acceptable.

“We don’t just close down a facility because we have shortages in personnel. Our police departments have shortages. Our schools have shortages. I know our dispatch center has shortages. But we find a way to keep them open,” Schickel said. “And they should be housed right here in our community with our people.”

Officers said the DJJ indicated it was its responsibility to transport the detainees, but Florence Police Chief Tom Grau said it hasn’t always been working out that way.

“‘Meet at Campbell County, we’ll have a transport for you down there. Your wait time is three hours on the lot for our transport team to get there.’” Grau said. “Well, l I can drive halfway there and be done with it. So why would I sit on the lot with a juvenile?”

Ridgell said that puts a strain on law enforcement agencies like Boone County. He said the Boone County Sheriff’s Office has taken nine juveniles into custody since the beginning of year.

“When you remove somebody from oftentimes a minimal number, and they’re then occupied in transporting from Burlington to either Boyd or Breathitt County if transportation from DJJ is not available, or at least readily available, then you’re removing one of the deputies who was previously assigned to a beat, a subdivision, a neighborhood, and they are then on the road for a six hour-long trip,” he said.

Besides the strain it puts on officers, Ridgell said it’s also hard on the families that are already facing difficult situations.

Schickel said this is an executive branch responsibility. He said they are pleading with the governor, the secretary of justice, and commissioner of juvenile justice to reopen the facility.

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