We applaud the House and the Senate for taking the final steps on HB 40 to allow record expungement for certain low-level felonies. The bill is now headed to the Governor’s desk for his signature. We thank Representative Owens for sponsoring the bill and Representative David Floyd for being a primary co-sponsor. We also appreciate the work of Senate President Robert Stivers and Senator Whitney Westerfield for working to find a compromise that could pass the [...]

As Kentucky continues implementing the juvenile justice reforms passed in 2014 and seeks to build upon that work with additional policy changes, such as SB 270, it is imperative that the perspectives and input of people of color are sought and incorporated, as youth of color are over-represented throughout our youth justice system. The Youth Justice Leadership Institute is one opportunity to grow emerging advocates of color into strong leaders who can help fulfill that [...]

This post originally appeared as a story on Public News Service on March 17, 2016. Read it online here.  Greg Stotelmyer Giving Kentucky youth who have committed a nonviolent offense a clean slate when they turn 18 is the idea behind a new bill in the Kentucky Senate. Young people who committed violent or sex crimes would not be eligible. But Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, says clearing or sealing an 18-year-old's juvenile nonviolent [...]

Kentucky’s communities are safest when we invest in what works best for children.  Right now, the stories and the numbers show that there are disparities in how children of color are treated within the Commonwealth’s systems that care for them.  To begin the process of addressing these disparities, Senator Whitney Westerfield has filed Senate Bill 270. SB 270 ensures that all systems who care for our youth -- education, child welfare, and youth justice -- will [...]

I think all of us can agree that at some point in our youth we made a stupid mistake. For some youth, the mistake (like sneaking in to an abandoned building to smoke cigarettes with friends) led to a juvenile charge. These charges often impact youth as adults because their juvenile record stays with them, even if they get back on track after messing up as a young person. What we’re doing now isn’t working [...]

When reforms to Kentucky’s juvenile justice system were discussed in the General Assembly in 2014, the efforts focused on several core goals: holding youth accountable, achieving better outcomes for youth, and maintaining public safety. Two years later, and just 6 months after full implementation of SB 200, the numbers are already showing the positive impact of the reforms. Data reported at the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council in January showed progress on a number of fronts: [...]