KENTUCKY — Gov. Andy Beshear is working with other state departments to make changes to where minors in the state are incarcerated. This comes after reports of serious violence inside some detention centers.
Earlier this month, Beshear called for the Campbell County Juvenile Detention Facility to be girls only. It's the only one in the state, housing girls 11 to 18.
More changes announced Thursday include a two-tier system for boys. Three facilities will be designated for those charged with violent or serious offenses. Four other facilities will be for lesser charges.
During a joint judiciary committee hearing where the secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and the juvenile justice commissioner spoke, multiple lawmakers brought up a riot that happened at a juvenile detention facility in Adair County.
"Staff was hurt, other youth were hurt. One youth was reportedly sexually assaulted by other youth," Republic Sen. Whitney Westerfield said.
Officials said the causes are troubling.
"The youths tell our workers — they're very free with this — that they're involved in gangs and that they actually are elevated in the gangs when they commit an assault on our staff or on other youths," said Kerry Harvey, secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
There are also more violent offenders.
"The youth population now is entirely different than when we started," Beshear said.
Beshear said the crimes minors are committing now are more violent than 20 years ago when the state set up the system. Nearly half of current male juvenile inmates have committed a class C felony or higher — a crime like murder, kidnapping or first-degree rape.
"A kid that's been truant is in the same facility with the most violent youth offenders that Kentucky has, and that's unconscionable," Westerfield said.
Beshear said change is necessary for the safety of everyone involved. Some lawmakers said it's a step forward, but it's not enough.
"What happened in Adair County can't just be glossed over. We have a young girl who was raped by multiple juvenile males," said Republican Rep. Jason Nemes.
