Tagged: juvenile justice

In the wake of the high-profile Savannah Dietrich court case, a bill in the Kentucky House would prevent judges from issuing gag orders against sexual assault victims undergoing trial in juvenile court.

If approved, House Bill 115 would allow juvenile crime victims to speak freely about their cases, said state Rep. Keith Bratcher, a Louisville Republican.

The state’s leading authority on juvenile justice says he would like to see status offenders kept out of incarceration facilities.

A status offense is something a youth gets in legal trouble for, but an adult wouldn’t. Common status offenses are running away from home or skipping school.

Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Hasan Davis says he believes status offenders shouldn’t be held in a detention center for minor offenses.

A new report by Kentucky Youth Advocates is shining light on the state's high number of incarcerated youth with low priority crimes.

The report released this week, Ending the Use of Incarceration for Status Offenders in Kentucky, shows nearly one in every six incarcerated youths under age 18 is jailed for low priority offenses. The data comes from the Department of Juvenile Justice.