Kentucky justice officials on the hot seat as juvenile detention center incidents prompt 'dramatic' reforms

The recent riot at a facility in Adair County, which saw injuries of both youth and staff, including an alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl, has put the detention system’s long-running problems in the spotlight.

In the weeks since, Gov. Andy Beshear has rolled out a number of changes – including creating a females-only detention center, and shifting from a regionally-based system for housing juveniles to one based on the severity of crimes committed.

Sen. Danny Carroll, a former police officer, said he believes a culture of permissiveness is also a factor.

But Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Kerry Harvey said the reforms the governor is instituting are in line with recommendations made by members of the General Assembly. For now, however, Harvey said the system has to manage as best it can to keep youth under control, no matter what their individual circumstances.

"... whether they're mentally ill, whether they're a murderer, whether they're a truant, we don't control who comes into detention and we don't control when they get out," Harvey noted. "But we have to do as good as we can do while we have them and the governor's plan... actually a lot of the things that he is doing will address some of Sen. Carroll's concerns."

At the same time, Beshear was releasing more details about those plans during his weekly Team Kentucky update. Starting next year, the governor said the state will create three higher-security facilities, including one in Fayette County. They will house more violent or serious offenders, while four centers will house lower-level offenders.

Still, big question marks remain regarding the system's persistent staffing shortages, retaining workers, and funding future reforms.