Six organizations awarded funding to help divert youth away from the juvenile justice system
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 23, 2025) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear awarded $586,640 in federal Title II Formula Grants Program funding to six organizations working to prevent youth crime in the commonwealth.
“Working with partners across the commonwealth, we are continuing to support our kids and their families by ensuring they have the resources needed to seize every opportunity they can,” Gov. Beshear said. “This annual federal funding allows us to help organizations that are vital in building a safer New Kentucky Home through helping at-risk youth get on the best path for their future.”
The Title II Formula Grants Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, supports state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and juvenile justice systems improvements. Funding priority was given to organizations preventing justice system involvement or intervening with first-time and non-serious offenders. This funding is jointly overseen by the Beshear administration and the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.
“Kentucky’s future is bright because of the work our community partners do each day to provide for at-risk youth across our commonwealth,” Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said. “Only together can we keep our most vulnerable population safe and create a safer Kentucky for us all.”
Funding recipients include non-profit organizations and government agencies focused on providing no-cost trauma-informed legal services to youth, educating the community, mentoring young Kentuckians, providing targeted intervention, and providing behavioral health services.
For a full list of Title II grant subrecipients, click here.
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. Since taking office at the end of 2019, the administration has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the safety of all Kentucky’s children.
In September, Gov. Beshear signed two emergency regulations requiring updates to the Department of Juvenile Justice’s (DJJ) restrictive housing policies to prioritize the safety and mental health of juveniles. The regulations mandate DJJ leadership reviews, approves time limits and requires all DJJ staff who interact with youth to be trained on the new regulation. The changes will help provide clearer guidelines to ensure the measure is being used safely and effectively and are the latest step in a wide range of sweeping changes the Beshear administration has implemented at DJJ since taking office.
The Governor released the 2024-2025 School Safety Risk Assessment Report in August, which shows that 1,315 public schools in the commonwealth are following statutory safety requirements required by the School Safety and Resiliency Act. Gov. Beshear also announced that there are 842 School Resource Officers (SROs) assigned to public school campuses across the state, a more than 100% increase in employed SROs since the Governor took office.
Since taking office, the Beshear administration has awarded more than $160 million in grant funding to victim service agencies. The Governor has also signed legislation that further protects Kentucky’s children, including Senate Bill 73, which makes sexual extortion a felony, and House Bill 207, which strengthens protections that keep our kids free from abuse and sexual exploitation.
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