Kentucky juvenile facilities have issues with force, staffing, report says

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A review of Kentucky’s juvenile justice system has found continuing use of force issues in its detention centers and a lack of progress on a previous state audit’s suggestions for improvement. The new report was released Wednesday by Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball. It says the state’s juvenile detention centers lack clear policies concerning the use of isolation cells, Tasers and pepper spray, and have significant staffing problems. A federal lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges that two teen girls were kept in isolation cells for weeks in unsanitary conditions at a facility in 2022. The auditor’s review was requested last year by state lawmakers.