Via press release from KyPolicy
Amid several years of troubling news stories describing abuse and mismanagement in Kentucky’s juvenile detention centers, the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy has released a report highlighting 10 years of little-known policies that have successfully diverted more children from the broken detention system. As the report describes, those gains are now at risk of unraveling — a threat would put even more kids in harm’s way by funneling them to detention centers where abuse has become rampant.
“Our new report tells the important story of Senate Bill (SB) 200, which passed in 2014 with the goal of reducing the number of children interacting with the formal court system,” said Pam Thomas, senior fellow at KyPolicy and the report’s lead author. “Lawmakers understood that those changes would lead to better outcomes for kids and families while reducing expenses for the state. We must now build on the successes of SB 200.”
SB 200 has resulted in an increase in the number of children successfully diverted away from the courts. Total commitments to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) are down 37% between 2014 and 2023. Data obtained from the state also shows fewer kids interacting with the courts for status offenses and a decline in DJJ referrals for low-level offenses. A juvenile system focused on community-based rehabilitation and support rather than incarceration is more effective for children and families, and SB 200 moved Kentucky in the right direction.
Unfortunately, many of those gains are now at risk due to false and harmful narratives suggesting a juvenile crime wave. Recent legislation has rolled back aspects of SB 200’s reforms and emphasized detention and harsh punishment.
The positive changes within the juvenile justice system are also overshadowed by the steady stream of horror stories coming out of its detention facilities. These issues must be addressed to keep the children inside of them safe. And the most effective way to ensure safety and rehabilitation is to keep children out of detention entirely. The KyPolicy report includes numerous recommendations to solidify the reforms of SB 200 and keep kids from the proven dangers of incarceration, especially in the unsafe facilities in which Kentucky’s children are housed.
Read the KyPolicy report here.
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