FRANKFORT, Ky. — Following a critical audit released earlier this year, lawmakers in Frankfort are trying to address issues with the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). The report found that the DJJ is using pepper spray far more often than at adult facilities and lacks a clear strategic direction.

What You Need To Know

  • Senate Bill 242 aims to continue an overhaul of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice 

  • The bill focuses on assessment and placement of high acuity juvenile offenders to get them treatment suited for improving their outcome 

  • An audit released in January showed the DJJ lacks a consistent strategy and has failed to implement improvements suggested in a 2017 audit 

  • SB 242 proposes a 16 bed inpatient acute mental health DJJ facility for highest risk youth and proposes DJJ to build two female only detention centers

Tuesday, the Senate committee on families and children heard a bill aimed at continuing the overhaul of the state’s DJJ from State Senator Danny Carroll, R-Benton. Senator Carroll’s Senate Bill 242 establishes an assessment and placement process for youth offenders to ensure they receive mental health treatment best suited to improve their outcome.

The bill specifically addresses offenders under 18 in state custody who are high acuity; meaning a child medically found to need specialized treatment to address aggression and violence toward people.

“These are the highest-level of kids that we deal with,” Carroll said.

Findings from a behavioral health screening and court order would determine the best course of treatment. Options include an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a pediatric teaching hospital or a proposed inpatient acute mental health DJJ facility.

“This would be a 16-bed facility staffed security-wise by DJJ and belong to DJJ but would collaborate with the Cabinet for Health and Family services,” Carroll said. “The focus is on treatment and not detention.”

In 2023, Carroll spearheaded the legislative effort to reform the DJJ through a $55 million investment and reorganization of the department.

An audit released in January showed DJJ facilities are pepper spraying inmates at a rate 74 times higher than it is used in adult federal prisons. The report shows the department lacks a unified strategic direction.

“The primary focus of our mission going forward is the safety of the youth and the adjustments that have been made that Senator Carroll has pointed out lay the foundation for that as we move forward,” said Keith Jackson, Secretary of Justice and Public Safety.

Carroll’s bill also calls for the DJJ to build two female-only detention centers in Central and Western Kentucky at a price tag of $45 million each. The cost of facilities in SB 242 across the two-year period would be $165 million. But Carroll said the hope is for Kentucky to go from one of the worst states in juvenile justice to a national leader.

“I think we have the potential to do that through this process and the travesties that happened in the past simply won’t happen again,” Carroll said.

Also, under the bill, a process would be put in place for children violent toward hospital staff members to be discharged, charged criminally and placed back in detention center.

No action was taken Tuesday. The bill is expected to be back in front of the committee next week for consideration.

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