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'Protect the children, protect the community': Kentucky House committee passes juvenile justice bill

House Bill 3 would appropriate nearly $9 million in state funds to reopen and renovate the former youth detention facility in downtown Louisville.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The push to reopen the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center in downtown Louisville moved a step further in Frankfort on Wednesday.

House Bill 3, which looks to appropriate nearly $9 million in state funds to renovate the facility, passed in the Kentucky House Judiciary Committee with 15 affirming votes. 

The bill would put the state's Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in charge of hiring and running the center.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Kevin Bratcher (R-29), and lawmakers from Louisville say teenagers charged with the most violent crimes need a place to go that's closer to home.

"This is very important for our most troubled children to try to get their lives turned around," Bratcher said.

And with the city's murders increasingly driven by juveniles, they believe the facility downtown that was once the city's youth detention center is their best bet to curb the dangerous trend.

"We need them with us where their families can see them, where we can have more services," said Rep. Jason Nemes (R-33), who pointed to many youth getting sent hours south to Adair County's juvenile detention facility.

At the hearing Wednesday, Bratcher was joined by Louisville's Deputy Mayor David James and Josh Crawford, who specializes in criminal justice policy in the Metro.

Crawford noted 11% of those arrested in Louisville for homicides last year are juveniles. James said 30% of homicides in Jefferson County are related to gang activity and believes this facility would help intervene in kids' lives.

But folks like Brittany Harris, who was formerly in the juvenile justice system, are apprehensive.

"As Kentuckians, our work in creating change must be preventative rather than reactive -- detention is not the cure. And I hope that you see the strength of therapy and treatment and know that is the solution," she said.

But James is promising that Louisville Metro Government would assist the state in making sure teenagers are properly cared for and not abandoned.

"While they're being detained, we can provide as the city of Louisville wraparound services for those children, mental health services, substance abuse services, all those things that they need -- where we can protect the children and we can also protect the community," James said.

Some lawmakers expressed concern over the feasibility of the plan, including the existing staffing shortage the DJJ is experiencing.

This week, DJJ officials said they haven't yet got to tour the downtown Louisville facility to see whether it could accommodate necessary wraparound services.  

Other pieces of HB 3 caused some concern, including a provision that would require a maximum 48-hour hold until detained juveniles can stand before a judge for a hearing.

Another provision would allow convicted kids to have their records, and some personal information, become public -- at least for a few years. 

The thought process is to prevent violent teens from getting ahold of guns.

Opponents fear these records will be exploited to keep juveniles from getting jobs and a second chance at a normal life, even years after adjudication.

Bratcher said that language of HB 3 is something he'd be willing to be flexible on.

The bill now heads to the full state House for discussion and possible amendments. Bratcher says it could be heard on the House floor before the week's end.

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