Lawmaker demands answers after relocation of juveniles from Campbell County Juvenile Detention Center

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — Back in December Governor Andy Beshear announced the state’s first female-only juvenile detention center, in Campbell County.

But seven months later, the facility has now relocated its inmates.

“Staffing shortages are definitely a factor, especially when you’re operating a 24 hour operation, but we have lots of 24 hour operations. We have our dispatch center, we have our jail, we have our police department and we find a way to keep those kinds of critical services open and this is no different,” says Sen. John Schickel, who represents a part of Boone County and has been outspoken with the recent decision regarding the juvenile detention center.

Just recently Senate Bill 162 went into effect, the bill appropriated more than $25 million to the department, for things such as, staff salaries, facility upgrades and transportation costs
But in a Team Kentucky update last month, Governor Beshear making an announcement, “while they have improved security staffing in our detention centers, the female only Campbell Regional Juvenile Detention Center is experiencing critical staffing issues. We are going to temporarily relocate the juveniles currently in the Campbell County facility,” he said on June 15.

But Sen. Schickel believes changes to the department of juvenile justice need to happen now.

“We need to change our juvenile justice laws, quite frankly, they’re a mess. We need to put some teeth in our juvenile justice laws and I’m working hard on that. But the opening of this detention facility is really an executive branch decision,” he added.

We also reached out to Secretary Kerry Harvey’s office, Harvey oversees the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

His office sending the following statement:

“The Campbell Juvenile Detention Center is not closed.  Due to critical staffing levels, Campbell Juvenile Detention Center’s operations have been limited to accepting new female juvenile intakes, youths returning for court hearings and operation of the female youth development center. To keep all DJJ youth and staff safe and secure, males and females must remain separate. While Campbell Co. works to recruit personnel, females are temporarily being housed at Boyd Juvenile Detention Center, and males have been moved to Breathitt. Females will return to Campbell Co. once staffing is secure.”

In total there are 8 juvenile detention centers in the state.