FRANKFORT, Ky. (November 25, 2025) – Today, Auditor Allison Ball submitted a formal comment letter to the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet about Governor Beshear's proposed emergency regulations on the Department for Juvenile Justice's (DJJ) use of isolation in juvenile facilities. The comment letter coincides with Auditor Ball's Chief of Staff, Lorran Hart Ferguson, providing public comment in person at today's hearing on the regulation.
“The conditions in DJJ facilities have been unacceptable for far too long," Auditor Ball said. “Instead of implementing the numerous recommendations outlined in my office's report, the Beshear administration continues to refuse to make meaningful reform. We must do what is necessary to help these vulnerable kids get back on a path toward success."
On January 31, 2024, Auditor Ball's office released a comprehensive performance review of the Department of Juvenile Justice, which identified deeply concerning conditions in DJJ facilities, including the excessive use of isolation and pepper spray on detained youth.
The comment letter explains how the proposed emergency regulations fail to spark any real change within DJJ. Even worse, the proposed emergency regulations ignore essentially all of the issues within DJJ facilities causing harm to children and staff.
“If we are going to help put these kids on a path toward success and keep DJJ staff and all Kentuckians safe, the Beshear administration should look to my office's comprehensive report that outlines a blueprint for meaningful change within DJJ," Auditor Ball said.
To read the full comment letter, click here.
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