Priority funding to be awarded to organizations and programs diverting youth away from the juvenile justice system
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 26, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that applications open March 27 for more than $386,000 in federal funding to prevent youth crime in the commonwealth.
“Every single one of our children deserves the chance to succeed in life, no matter their circumstances,” Gov. Beshear said. “This federal funding allows us to invest in our most vulnerable population, providing them opportunities to thrive in a safer New Kentucky Home.”
The Title II Formula Grants Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, supports state and local delinquency prevention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements. Eligible applicants include state and local government units, nonprofit organizations and non-governmental programs addressing juvenile delinquency prevention, including faith-based and community organizations.
“Working with stakeholders allows us to build a safer Kentucky for all our children,” Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said. “By supporting young Kentuckians, we can make real progress and ensure our communities are safer for years and generations to come.”
Applications are due by 5 p.m. EDT on May 8, 2026, via Intelligrants 10.0 (IGX), the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s electronic grants management system. Assistance with the application process may be obtained by contacting grants management staff at JUSIGX@ky.gov. Awards are expected to be announced in September with the award date beginning Oct. 1.
The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor’s public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky.
The Beshear-Coleman administration has made critical, positive improvements to the juvenile justice system, enhancing safety and security for youth and staff while helping Kentucky’s at-risk youth rehabilitate. There are vital pieces left that require legislative action, which is why for the third year in a row, the Beshear-Coleman administration is requesting funding from the General Assembly to build a high-acuity mental health facility to ensure access to psychiatric treatment and two female detention centers. Senate Bill 125, filed by Sen. Danny Carroll of Paducah, authorizes the construction of these facilities and has passed out of the Senate.
Since taking office, the Beshear-Coleman administration has awarded more than $162 million in grant funding to victim service agencies across the commonwealth. Gov. Beshear has also signed legislation to make sexual extortion a felony and strengthened statutory language to include other forms of abuse and sexual exploitation of minors.
For the first time, Kentucky is simultaneously offering law enforcement basic training in two locations, Richmond and Madisonville. As of January, 37 officers have graduated from the Western Kentucky Law Enforcement Training Facility, which is currently in a building provided by the Madisonville Police Department. Team Kentucky is in the process of constructing a new, state-of-the-art facility in Madisonville, and Gov. Beshear's 2026-2028 executive budget requests an additional $64.8 million to construct the remaining critical elements of the facility, including an indoor firing range and a driving track.
Protecting the commonwealth’s schools is a top priority of Team Kentucky. In August of last year, the Governor announced that 1,315 Kentucky public schools are following statutory safety requirements required by the School Safety and Resiliency Act and that the number of school resource officers protecting schools has increased more than 100% since he took office.
Since Gov. Beshear took office, fewer Kentuckians have returned to prison after their release. In February 2025, it was announced that nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned. The 2024 Crime in Kentucky report, released in June, shows that, from 2023 to 2024, there was an overall decrease of 7.66% in reports of serious crime.
For three straight years, overdose deaths have decreased in Kentucky. In 2024, the commonwealth saw 30.2% fewer overdose deaths than the year prior. Gov. Beshear continued this progress in November by scheduling 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I narcotic, making it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated forms of 7-OH in the state.
In April of last year, Gov. Beshear officially opened the doors to the new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty. The facility is designed for officers to learn intensive and specialized training that will support all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded nearly $12 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with enhancing public and officer safety, curbing the sale of illegal drugs and fighting addiction.