LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky lawmakers heard an update on Thursday about the state's youth detention centers.
According to a news release about the hearing, the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) accused the Adair County Detention Center of violating policies regarding the treatment of incarcerated people.
A new report presented by the DPA found Adair County placed youth in isolation without following due process.
The DPA said policy dictates isolation should not last more than 24 hours, however, they said they have received reports of youth being placed in isolation for days.
"Every four hours, you're supposed to be doing checks whether isolation should continue to occur," DPA spokesperson Lauren Bieger Hunter said. "And we're not seeing those things; isolation is going on for days. And even when they're not calling in isolation, it is isolation because they are in the cells that they're not allowed out of."
Other incidents the DPA mentioned included the use of pepper spray, no access to mental health treatment and more according to the release.
The Department of Juvenile Justice denied knowing about the incidents cited.
They claimed isolation, as described, is not currently happening in the facilities.
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