A Louisville Metro Council member is accusing the state of “dragging its feet” on reopening the downtown Youth Detention Center.
District 22 Council Member Kevin Bratcher, a Republican, is sponsoring a resolution that calls on Gov. Andy Beshear and the Department of Juvenile Justice to expedite the renovations and “provide clear timelines, transparency in planning, and coordination with local officials to ensure that the facility is safe, secure, and responsive to the needs of Louisville’s youth and families.”
Louisville Metro shuttered the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center in 2019 amid budget cuts. That led to officers having nowhere locally to take kids accused of crimes or status offenses, like habitually skipping school. Officers would have to spend almost an entire shift accompanying a kid through a screening by a judge and court-designated worker. They may also have to arrange transport to facilities as far away as Adair County, a two hour drive…