Low-level male juvenile offenders from Jefferson County to be safely housed in Campbell County
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2024) – After years of planning and working with lawmakers to secure funding, today the Beshear-Coleman administration announced that on Sept. 30, the Jefferson Regional Juvenile Detention Center will temporarily close for renovations that will expand the facility’s capacity to safely and securely house juveniles who have been ordered to secure detention.
The administration has worked with local leaders and stakeholders to prepare for the relocation of male juveniles who are arrested for lower-level offenses (Class D felony or lesser offense) and ordered to secure detention by the judicial system to the Campbell Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
In December 2019, Louisville Metro Government closed the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center and transferred custody of detention services to the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). The department quickly converted a pre-existing state-owned facility located in the city of Lyndon and began services in January 2020. However, the design of this facility does not meet the standards of other juvenile detention centers across the state, and the Beshear-Coleman administration requested and a received a total of $7.5 million for much needed renovations from the General Assembly between 2023 and 2024.
“This construction project is necessary for us to continue to safely and securely house juveniles in our custody,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “This will be in addition to the future construction project of the detention center in downtown Louisville. Once both are complete, we will have access to state-of-the-art facilities allowing us to better meet the needs of our juvenile population, law enforcement will have reduced transportation time and the court system will have more frequent access to the juveniles on their caseload.”
In preparation for the temporary closure, the leadership of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and DJJ met with Jefferson County judges, commonwealth’s attorneys, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Public Advocacy, as well as religious and community leaders. The group discussed the use of video technology for attorney visits and court arraignments and making virtual visitation available for family members and loved ones of the juveniles. The department will be providing virtual visitation stands at the training academy in Lyndon for individuals who do not have access to an electronic device or who need assistance so they can continue to communicate with their juvenile on a regular basis.
“We remain focused on helping juveniles in our custody successfully rehabilitate and reenter society so that they can create a fulfilling life for themselves and their families” DJJ Commissioner Randy White said. “One aspect of achieving our mission is having access to strong infrastructure allowing us to expand our programming, educational resources and security, and the renovations to the current Jefferson County detention center will provide us with this access.”
Construction on the facility is scheduled to begin around Oct. 15 and is expected to be completed the middle of 2026. Once completed, the maximum bed capacity will increase from 10 to 28, with all cells being equipped with plumbing. The renovation will also include improvements to the intake area and electronic security systems.
Male juveniles charged with higher-level offenses will continue to be housed in one of the three designated high-level facilities, which are located in Adair, Fayette and Warren counties; and all female juveniles will continue to be housed at Boyd Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
To enhance security for staff and youth, the Beshear-Coleman administration developed an aggressive plan starting in December 2022 to implement sweeping improvements to Kentucky’s juvenile justice system for the first time since its establishment nearly 25 years ago. For a full list of steps taken by the Beshear administration to reform the Department of Juvenile Justice, visit: https://justice.ky.gov/About/Pages/juvenilejustice.aspx
Update on downtown Louisville Youth Detention Center:
The General Assembly appropriated $38.9 million to renovate the downtown Louisville Youth Detention Center.
The state is continuing to work with the Louisville Metro Government on the transfer of the property. Architectural and engineering contracts have been awarded for design, geotech, surveying and hazardous material testing. Once design work is complete, the commonwealth will begin the procurement process for a construction contract.
GRW Inc. holds the design contract for this project. The current design includes modifications to the existing building, as well as updates and replacements to critical systems. Basic design expectations include renovations to the basement and first and second floors, a minimum of 64 resident beds, security upgrades, mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades or replacements, food service upgrades, a roof replacement and other updates required by code.
Once construction begins, the current estimate for completion is approximately two years.