Officials with the Kentucky Department of Justice spoke with lawmakers Thursday about a proposal to construct a rehabilitation center for juveniles in DJJ custody who have serious mental health or behavioral conditions.
The proposed facility would house up to 24 individuals at a time that the department deems “extremely violent” and provide them psychiatric care with the goal of reintroducing them back into general DJJ facilities.
DJJ Commissioner Randy White told state lawmakers that the department currently does not have enough resources to provide psychiatric consultations. He said a separate facility tailored toward youth with mental health or behavioral concerns would allow the department to better address those underlying conditions while also ensuring the safety of DJJ staff and other juveniles.
“We're trying to figure out what is going on with these juveniles. What causes their behavior? And sometimes it takes time and it takes the professionals to do that,” White said.
According to White, private psychiatric hospitals are not required to treat youth that come from the DJJ. When they are accepted, the DJJ commissioner said they are often discharged due to violent or disruptive behavior.
While lawmakers generally expressed support for specialized care for violent juveniles, some such as Republican Rep. Kim Banta had concerns about whether the DJJ’s proposed facility would fill enough of the gap in services.
“Twenty-four beds doesn’t sound like it scratches the surface…if you were going to build something, why wouldn't you build it so they could come?” Banta said.
In addition to the rehabilitation facility, the DJJ is asking for funds to build two new female-only facilities ahead of the 2026 budget session.
All together, DJJ estimates these facilities would cost roughly $90 million to build – a price tag that Republican Rep. Jason Nemes called an “expensive band-aid” to a much broader issue at Thursday’s meeting.
Earlier this year, a bill sponsored by State Sen. Danny Carroll that would have allowed the construction of the rehabilitation facility passed through the senate, but eventually died in the House at the end of the session.
