Articles put juvenile justice leaders on hot seat, also draw praise

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The state’s top juvenile justice administrators are on the hot seat with state lawmakers.

But they and their staffs also got some public support for the jobs they do.

Armed with articles by the Lexington Herald-Leader that pointed out everything from abuse of teenagers to racial slurs and excessive force, a legislative committee peppered juvenile justice officials during a hearing Thursday.

And while they acknowledged some shortcomings and changes that are under way, they also said their staffs were proud of their work and deserve more credit.

One lawmaker called the article one-sided and a hatchet job.

“The DJJ is filled with people from our front-line workers, the cooks, the superintendents, all the way to our central office folks and our budget people, human resources or physical plant who are as passionate as I am about this work,” Juvenile Justice Commissioner Vickie Reed told the Interim Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

“I want to talk about what I call real life because you have a tough job commissioner, but especially your employees have a tough jobs and I want today to stick up for them,” state Sen. John Schickel, a republican from Union who represents the 11th District.

Reed took over the department in August and Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Harvey was named in July.